CRIME TIME : Nov 30-Dec 6

The Hermosa Beach Police Department's weekly crime report reveals a concentrated enforcement effort targeting reckless e-bike riders, along with several fraud cases and narcotics arrests.

Major E-Bike Enforcement Operation

The most notable activity this week was a coordinated e-bike enforcement operation on December 5th around Pier Avenue and The Strand. Between 5:06 PM and 8:00 PM, officers cited at least seven riders and impounded their bikes for various violations including:

Riding wheelies in pedestrian-heavy areas
Riding in walk-only zones on The Strand
Running multiple stop signs
Passing vehicles and weaving through traffic
Not wearing helmets
Carrying passengers
Riding three people on one bike

The enforcement appeared focused on protecting pedestrians in areas "heavily travelled by pedestrians/children," according to the report. One rider was cited twice in the same day.

Check Fraud Continues

Three separate incidents of check fraud were reported, continuing a troubling pattern:

A check mailed from the 500 block of Pier Avenue post office was intercepted, altered and cashed (Nov 29-Dec 3)
An IRS check mailed in late October was intercepted and altered (reported this week but occurred in October)
Another IRS check case from Manhattan Beach dating back to August

The incidents suggest ongoing vulnerabilities in mail security at local post offices.

Narcotics Arrests

Two traffic stops resulted in narcotics arrests:

On December 4th at 1:43 AM on Monterey Boulevard, a traffic stop found a driver in possession of controlled substances without a prescription and paraphernalia
Later that same day at 10:29 PM on Hermosa Avenue, another traffic stop revealed a driver with a felony warrant who was on parole. Officers found cocaine in the vehicle, leading to an arrest.

Property Crime

Bike thefts from parking garages continued to be an issue.

A locked e-bike was stolen from a secured underground garage on Herondo Street (Nov 20-27)
An unlocked bicycle was taken from an underground garage, also on Herondo Street (Nov 29-30)
Another e-bike locked to itself was stolen from a Pacific Coast Highway parking structure (Dec 2-4)

A burglary on Pacific Coast Highway saw thieves shatter a front window and steal an electric skateboard, leaving a brick inside the business.

Notable Cases

An employee embezzlement case spanning from May 2024 to November 2025 was reported from the Pier Avenue area, involving money taken over an extended period.

An ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) operation served a business with a notice of suspension on December 1st. It's understood that this is Roberts Liquor on Pier Plaza.

Quality of Life Enforcement

Officers made several arrests for public intoxication and cited individuals for public urination downtown. A vandalism incident on Power Street involved someone tearing a security camera from a wall and throwing it at construction workers.