SEAL BEACH : Substation May Rest on Prop. 172 Vote

City officials say the fate of a proposed police substation at the Seal Beach Pier might rest on voter approval of Proposition 172, which would permanently extend a half-cent increase in the state’s sales tax.

City Councilwoman Marilyn Bruce Hastings said the city will receive about $120,000 if the November ballot measure is approved--enough to build the substation.

Residents who live near the beach have long supported the substation to bring a permanent police presence to the Old Town neighborhood.

The main police station is more than a mile away on Seal Beach Boulevard.

Calls for a substation have intensified recently in the wake of four armed robberies in the area that have set residents on edge.

The robberies prompted the police to increase patrols both on the pier and around the residential areas off Main Street.

Hastings, who represents the Old Town area, praised the extra police presence. “I am very pleased,” she said. “They are very visible, but their demeanor is very casual.”

Hastings said that on a recent night, she saw police officers patrolling both the pier and Main Street on foot.

Serious planning for a substation is not expected to begin until next year at the earliest.

It remains unclear where the money for the substation would come from if Proposition 172 is not approved.