A letter to the editor

On behalf of the men and women of the Huntington Beach Police

Department, I would like to express my appreciation for your support of

the Huntington Beach Police Department in your editorial of Nov. 1

(Police on Top of Personal Safety).

Huntington Beach has enjoyed an unprecedented reduction in crime

during the last several years. Our officers have worked hard in a number

of areas to make sure that our community can continue to be among the

safest in the nation. But as you correctly point out in your editorial,

the residents (and business owners) deserve applause for doing their part

to contribute to the safety of the city. We have a very active

Neighborhood Watch Program in Huntington Beach, and they are the “eyes

and ears” for their friends and neighbors. Our Community Policing

programs have worked in partnership with neighborhood and business groups

to make sure the residents of Huntington Beach can continue to enjoy a

safe and secure environment in which to work and play.

As police officers we are always actively working to reduce all areas

of crime year after year. We are tremendously pleased that our violent

crime rate has continued to decline, and at a higher rate than most

cities in California. But we do not take the uptick in property crimes

lightly. We have been, and will continue, to work diligently to reduce

the number of auto thefts and burglaries. The Huntington Beach Police

Department is dedicated to making sure that our citizens can be safe in

all areas of their lives.

Again, thank you for your support. We are living through a period of

time where we all are in a heightened state of alert. Knowing that we

have the support of our community makes our job that much easier.

RONALD E. LOWENBERG

Chief of Police