LONG BEACH : Police May Use Navy Hospital for Training
Police officers with guns and dogs could soon be roaming the halls of the defunct Naval Hospital on Carson Street near the San Gabriel River Freeway, using the empty building for training exercises.
The City Council agreed Tuesday to support the Police Department’s plan to use the main hospital building and grounds for training SWAT and K-9 teams and new recruits. The council directed staff to forge an agreement with the U.S. Navy that will give police a six-month license to use the hospital. There would be no cost to police, Chief William C. Ellis said in his report to the council.
The Naval Hospital closed this year, a victim of cuts in defense spending. City officials are hoping to create a discount mall on the hospital site, but neighboring cities have raised opposition to the plan, stalling the city’s efforts and leaving the hospital site unused.
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