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Manhattan Beach police chief reports lower overall crime in 2024, flags residential-burglary rise
Summary
Chief Rachel Johnson said overall crime fell in 2024 with declines in violent crime and property thefts but that residential burglaries increased; she highlighted staffing, recent arrests in two jewelry-store robberies and renewed prosecution partnerships with the newly elected district attorney.
Chief Rachel Johnson told the Chamber that the Manhattan Beach Police Department finished 2024 with an overall drop in crime but with notable exceptions.
“Overall crime in Manhattan Beach in 2024 was overall down,” Johnson said, citing significant decreases in violent crime categories and property thefts, including shoplifting and stolen vehicles. She credited partnerships with regional law enforcement and community reporting for the improvements.
At the same time, Johnson said residential burglaries rose and described that increase as a department priority. “If you’ve been a victim of a crime, the arrow for you is red,” she said, noting the department will use “every means at our disposal” to investigate and arrest those responsible.
Johnson recapped two high-profile robberies at Poshifine/Posha jewelry: one incident in 2022 and another in 2023. She said investigators worked with the district attorney’s office; five people in the 2023 case recently received state prison time and investigators have secured warrants and at least one arrest related to the 2022 case.
Staffing and recruitment: The chief reported about 67 sworn officers in the department, five in various academy stages and two recruits who started academy training the previous day. She described the department’s professional-support staff and specialty roles — property and evidence officers, jail staff, parking and animal-control officers, and police-services officers — as essential to casework and compliance.
Prosecution partnership: Johnson said the newly elected district attorney, Nathan Hawkman, has been a strong partner and has prioritized prosecuting quality-of-life crimes, which the chief said mattered for local quality of life.
Community guidance: Johnson urged residents to report suspicious activity and described multiple reporting options (911 for emergencies, a tip line for anonymous tips, Crimestoppers, and email addresses for tips and neighborhood-watch signups). She emphasized that “no call is too small” and the department wants the community to contact officers when they feel uneasy.
What to watch: The department plans to continue targeted enforcement and community outreach to address residential burglaries and sustain the broader declines in violent and property crime.
Sources and attribution: All quotes and statistics in this article are attributed to Chief Rachel Johnson’s remarks during the State of the City program.
