Residents of Manhattan Beach, your streets remain watched, but crime, as ever, persists in its relentless drumbeat. The latest data from the Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD) tells a story of a city grappling with increases in certain types of crime while making strides in others. According to the MBPD's April 2025 Monthly Crime Report, there's been an uptick in assaults with 13 incidents, rising by 10 from March. On a brighter note, auto thefts and burglaries saw a decrease, hinting at the relentless efforts by officers.
The report shows that MBPD handled a substantial 3,338 calls for service throughout the month. These range from dispatched assistance to officer-initiated contacts. Despite a busy month for law enforcement, the priority emergency call response time held steady at an impressive 4 minutes and 46 seconds.
Digging into the details, the number of arrests stands at 59 for the month, with 95 "Group A" crime reports logged in. These crimes, which include more severe offenses, do not account for every incident. Misdemeanors like DUIs or municipal code violations are excluded from this total. Crimes against persons amounted to 18.
Among the notable events reported by the police, there was a brazen theft of a 2022 Jeep Rubicon, stolen right from under the noses of its owners. Several pursuits elucidated both the agility of the MBPD force and the cunning of the town's criminals. In one such pursuit, a suspect led an officer on a chase for a quarter-mile before being apprehended. There was also an attempted burglary on Park View that was foiled when an alert resident scared the intruders away with a yell and a rash of vandalism involving spray paint that stained not just walls, but the hands of the young offenders caught red-handed.
Theft from vehicles, despite the wide gamut of scenarios, remained a persisting concern. Reports detail that 4 vehicles fell victim to the age-old smash and grab, 2 were simply left unlocked, and one incident with the suspect outwitting an automatic car lock on a Tesla. The MBPD urges residents to maintain vigilance.
