Rossmoor Center Gets Police Substation

The city’s second police substation opened Thursday in the Rossmoor shopping center, an area that police say is second only to the pier in crime-related problems.

The community safety office serves as a base for police on citywide patrol and is staffed by police-trained senior volunteers and reserve officers.

“The two hot spots in the city are the municipal pier and Rossmoor Center,” Mayor Gwen Forsythe said. “That’s where we typically send most of our officers.”

Police say the Rossmoor Center has attracted some gang members and “pseudo gang members,” with calls ranging from complaints about loud music to assaults and armed robberies.

Some council members were initially concerned that the storefront location, across from Ace Hardware, would not provide officers with enough visibility to monitor the entire shopping center. But police say they plan increased foot patrols to compensate.

“An undesirable element is coming to the area, and we want to nip that in the bud,” said Councilman George Brown, whose council district includes the Rossmoor Center. “It’s going to take an ongoing effort to be able to afford it.”

The storefront location was donated to the city by Rossmoor Center’s owners. Equipment was purchased with $5,000 in donations raised by the Community Safety Foundation.

The foundation continues to raise money to help pay for operations of both police substations. The pier substation, which opened in October, was built with $134,000 in donations from downtown residents and merchants who created the foundation last year.

“Volunteer efforts are really helping to curb crime in Seal Beach,” Forsythe said.

City officials said grand opening ceremonies for the substation will be in a month.