Chief Tells NRA Police Equipped for Crises
His officers have enough firepower for now, Huntington Beach Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg told the city’s chapter of the National Rifle Assn., and they wouldn’t need to upgrade to handle a situation like the North Hollywood bank robbery and shootout.
But, Lowenberg told the group this week, the department is constantly reviewing how other agencies handle crises, and evaluating new equipment and tactics that might help officers.
The officers in the city’s 17-person SWAT team spend most of their time on routine patrol, so any time a serious incident occurred, at least three or four of them could respond immediately, he said. He said most of the SWAT officers carry either MP5 submachine guns or specially equipped automatic shotguns.
But Lowenberg expressed concern that the department isn’t getting as many new candidates as it once did because officers in Huntington Beach haven’t gotten a raise since October 1992.
“If we’re the third-largest city in Orange County, it seems to be we should be the third-best paid,” he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
