Longtime harbor residents and slip renters pressed the Harbors and Beaches Advisory Committee on Wednesday to address public-safety problems they say are worsening at Oceanside Harbor.

Manuel Toms, who said his family has used guest slips for more than 25 years, listed five concerns: fishing on docks despite 'no fishing' signs, theft of gear and kayaks, mussel-poaching and debris left on docks, misuse of slips by paddleboarders and kayakers, and personal safety risks to families. "Because of all these factors... we would like to request a security gate to be installed on either side of the guest lift dock at the bottom of the ramps," Toms said.

Chair and committee members acknowledged the community's fear. City Manager Jonathan Borrego told the committee he has discussed the recent weekend incident with Police Chief Sadler and "asked that we make this a priority," saying he had authorized additional short-term resources while staff work toward a long-term solution. Borrego added his "thoughts and prayers to the victims" and said the matter will be a priority for his office.

Harbor staff said a small working group has finished recommendations and expects to present five safety proposals at the next committee meeting. "We're hopeful that they'll take them on, and we think they will," the harbor manager said.

No immediate vote or commitment to specific security infrastructure was recorded; staff encouraged residents to submit written comments and to attend further meetings where funding details and design recommendations will be discussed. The committee chair said she will post LAFCO recommendations and the analyst's contact information on the committee's Facebook page to facilitate public input.

Next steps: residents and committee members were urged to submit comments to LAFCO before the Sept. 19 comment deadline; harbor staff said they will report recommended safety measures at the next advisory committee meeting.