A Manhattan Beach Police Department town hall on October 21 drew an unusually large crowd as residents pressed Police Chief Rachel Johnson for answers about the department’s delayed notification of an armed robbery in downtown Manhattan Beach on October 9.

The town hall had been scheduled before the robbery, but the incident - as well as the public outcry that followed when residents learned of it 44 hours later - put the department’s communication practices and downtown safety under renewed scrutiny.

The meeting began with approximately an hour of presentations about detective work and other police activities before turning to the robbery and the department’s response. That timing prompted frustration among some attendees, several of whom questioned why the department had not addressed the incident at the outset.

Johnson defended the department’s approach to crime communications, saying that the city had revised its notification policies following two high-profile armed robberies in 2023. Those changes were intended to clarify when the public should be notified about serious incidents and who is responsible for making those decisions.

The policy distinguishes between emergency alerts, which require the public to take action, and other communications intended to inform the public about events in the community. 

"Transparency is More Than a Single Alert," read a slide that Johnson presented. The department's current approach in informing the community, according to the slide, was 1) Emergency alerts when public action is needed; 2) Weekly crime updates; 3) Monthly reporting that covers broader context and trends; and 4) direct City Council notifications and information sharing. 

The department has also placed responsibility for notifications with on-duty watch commanders, the supervisors closest to unfolding incidents, according to Johnson. 

“Our goal is as now: Provide timely, accurate, and useful information,” Johnson said.

However, the 44-hour gap between the October 9 robbery and the public notification continues to raise questions about whether those policies are working as intended.

“Accountability means more than just acknowledging when something hasn’t worked as well as it should,” Johnson said. “It means making changes so we can do better going forward.”

Chief acknowledges residents’ concerns about safety

Johnson acknowledged that residents are understandably upset when serious crimes occur in their community, emphasizing that the department takes individual incidents seriously even when they do not indicate a broader rise in crime.

“These aren’t just statistics to me—to us—you’re real people, real victims and real families that are impacted,” she said. “Every one of those incidents matters to us.”

At the same time, Johnson said, assessing public safety requires examining crime data and trends across the city, rather than drawing conclusions from a single incident.

“I also acknowledge that we can take any individual incident very seriously while recognizing that it may not reflect a broader increase in crime,” she said. “Both things can be true.”

Johnson noted that overall crime in Manhattan Beach declined 18.8% over the three-year period from 2023 through 2025. 

In response to concerns about downtown safety, Johnson said the department has increased patrols in the area, including officers on foot as well as in patrol cars. The department aims for officers to be more visible in downtown areas and near the beach, she said, particularly during the summer.

Foot and bicycle patrols can help officers maintain a visible presence and interact with residents and visitors, said Johnson. But she added that the department must also ensure that officers can respond promptly to calls throughout the city. For instance, an officer who is away from a patrol vehicle may be less able to respond quickly to a call on the other side of town

“Our challenge is to find the right balance,” she said. “We want our officers out in the community, but we also want to preserve our ability to promptly respond to calls for service throughout the city.”

‘We are part of this community’

Johnson also recognized that the volume of news about crime can leave residents feeling increasingly uneasy.

“With multiple news sources, you feel like you’re under siege,” she said, adding that she respects the amount of information residents are processing.

She emphasized that the department’s role extends beyond enforcement to include listening to residents and maintaining its connection to the community.

“Your police department is here for you, we are dedicated to a safe community, and we do our best to keep the place safe from crime,” she said.

Editor's note: Last week, MB News asked the current City Council candidates what, if anything, should be done differently about communicating such incidents to the community. The candidates' responses can be found here.