HUNTINGTON BEACH : Vice Unit Chief Out; No Charges Planned

City officials said Thursday that the head of the Police Department’s vice squad, who was under investigation for visiting massage parlors, has resigned and that no prosecution is planned.

Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg said a police investigation turned up no criminal actions by Lt. Michael Biggs, who headed the vice unit.

“I think basically what happened is a violation of police procedure,” said Mayor Thomas J. Mays. Mays said that police normally make inspection visits of massage parlors in pairs, to avoid being compromised. Biggs was accused of visiting the massage parlors alone, according to several city sources.

Biggs lives in Long Beach and had been on the Huntington Beach police force for the last 15 years. He could not be reached for comment. Lowenberg said state law requires that Biggs be given a partial pension for the years he served with the force.

“He will be able to get that partial pension at age 50,” said Lowenberg. Biggs is believed to be about 40.

Citing privacy laws, Lowenberg and Mays said they could not disclose the full details of the investigation involving Biggs. But both said the police probe turned up no violations of law.

“I have been assured by the police chief and the city administrator that following a thorough investigation there has been found nothing indicating any criminal intent or any evidence pointing to that,” Mays said. “Later, if we find any other problems, including misappropriation of funds, we can continue this investigation.”

But Mays said that nothing so far shows any misuse of city funds by Biggs.

In a separate interview, Lowenberg said Biggs “voluntarily resigned his employment with the city late Tuesday. He voluntarily resigned, and he really didn’t voice a reason why. The investigation of him is now considered closed.”

Police have long been worried about potential prostitution and other crimes taking place at the massage parlors along Beach Boulevard. Police make unannounced inspections of the massage parlors from time to time, and Lowenberg said that police policy is “to operate in pairs during these inspections, both for officer safety and to avoid criticism.”

Biggs headed a major arm of the Police Department, the Special Enforcement Bureau. That bureau includes enforcement of vice and narcotics laws.

Lowenberg said no immediate successor to Biggs has been named.

“We’re working through a reorganization,” the chief said.