Hi Seal Beach! Week after week I ask and ask (sometimes I beg) for people to send me questions. To my surprise, this week I received not one, but three questions from the community! Two are similar so I will answer them this week, and the third one I will save for next week.
Dear Lt. Nicholas,
Thank you for your article today on the e-bikes. I wonder if you’ve gotten to read the letter two pages after your article: “It’s a matter when, not if an electric bike tragedy strikes.” If so, might I ask your reaction to it please?
I’m not sure I understand why these electric bikes are legal in business areas. But as long as they are, could the SBPD perhaps have an officer on Main Street at times on Saturday to watch for reckless bikers?
For more than a year, I haven’t felt safe walking anywhere near Main Street on Saturday because of the kids on bikes. In November of ‘20, I almost got run over by two kids blindly whipping full speed on the sidewalk around the PCH-Main corner on regular bikes. I wrote a note to your chief that day asking the SBPD to do something about the kids on bikes.
I’m thinking now of an old line: “Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent.”
John
Hi John, thanks so much for your email. Yes, I read the article about “electric bike tragedy” on Main Street. My reaction?
I appreciate Mr. Jon Cockrill concern about local youths riding their bicycles in violations of local or Vehicle Code laws. You’re right Mr. Cockrill, it can be dangerous, and often kids (especially teenagers) don’t realize how their actions put others in harm’s way. However, I wish that during the “close calls” experienced on Main Street Mr. Cockrill had called us.
Unless there is an emergency happening at the same time, our officers are more than happy to respond to the area, attempt to locate the juveniles, and at minimum, give them a stern warning, or contact parents and issue citations.
However, if we don’t know a violation has occurred, there isn’t much we can do about those specific incidents by reading about them in the paper a week later.
As far as having an officer on Main Street at times on Saturday to watch for violations, we’d be happy to dedicate some resources there. However, please remember that in Seal Beach we have a finite number of polices officers that must be available to respond to emergencies and other calls for service.
Simply put, we can’t be everywhere at once. There are over 25,000 residents in this town, plus many more visitors and employees who commute to Seal Beach. As proactive as our officers are, and as routinely as we patrol Main Street, shopping centers, and other areas of the city, there is just no possible way we can be at all places at all times. However, if we get a call, we can and will respond to it.
Any regular reader of this weekly article will know that I regularly write that there is no call too small. Please do not ever hesitate to call us. You are the eyes and ears of this city, and we need you to help us keep it safe.
Hi Lt. Nicholas,
Thank you for your articles in the Sun.
The most recent one regarding e-bikes was super informative and prompted me to address an issue I have been concerned about for months!! I regularly ride the SG River Trail and see three young men on e-bikes riding northbound in the mornings from the Old Town area.
I assume they are on their way to either Los Al or Oak, because they ride between 7:45 and 8:45 and follow the Coyote Creek branch toward the schools.
I have a VERY SERIOUS concern for these young men. They ride really fast, faster than any cyclist I have ever seen (20 mph plus). They are a danger to other individuals, but even more are seriously endangering their own lives because they ride without helmets, or with an unbuckled helmet perched on top of their heads.
I have wanted to contact someone, but don’t know who has jurisdiction over this area. As a mom of three adult children, I am horrified every time I see them. I would be willing to contact another agency to address this issue. Not to get them in trouble, but to get them to slow down and WEAR A HELMET!!!
Thank you for your service to our community!
Lori
P.S. – my daughter loves following the SBPD Instagram account
Hi Lori,
Much like the response to John above, we really wish we got called when these violations happened.
Both John and Lori are concerned for the safety of the community, and we want readers to know that these emails, the messages we receive on social media, the conversations we have with our City Council Members about their constituents’ concerns, and the chats we have with the public out in the field do not go unheard. We are taking proactive steps to help keep the community stay safe and educate the public on the rules of the road, especially those involving bicycles.
Part of that education campaign is this weekly article. Looking back through our archives we’ve written at least six articles on bike safety. Our Community Oriented Policing Team is working on a bike safety presentation for students and parents at McGaugh.
We publish a bicycle safety brochure that is available to the public in our PD lobby. On our social media platforms we put out bike safety information. Yet our efforts do not just revolve around education. We can and will take enforcement action when necessary. We’ve written tickets for kids not wearing helmets, riding on sidewalks, no lights on bikes, and many other Vehicle Code violations. We’re discussing signage to be placed on Main Street and the bike path to remind users to share the road, be safe, and follow the rules. Despite all of this, we can’t teach common courtesy or common sense.
Please remember that only a small portion of the San Gabriel River Bike Path is located in Seal Beach. It basically extends from the First Street Municipal Beach Parking Lot up to just north of Marina Drive. Beyond that (headed north) the bike path belongs to Long Beach. The good news is that we have a really good working relationship with Long Beach PD, and we will pass on your concerns to our next-door partners.
What’s the ultimate goal here? To make Seal Beach safe for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motor vehicles. We need your help to accomplish this. First, it starts with calling us when a violation is observed. Our non-emergency number is (562) 594-7232. If it is a life-or-death emergency, call 9-1-1 right away.
Next, if you’re a parent, please talk to your kids. Make sure they know the rules and have the proper safety equipment. Please help us spread the word. Tell your friends to read these articles and write in with their concerns. We will continue to dedicate resources as we receive complaints.
John and Lori, I really appreciate your emails this week. Please keep them coming Seal Beach! Email your questions to askacop@sealbeachca.govtoday!
