In an unsurprising move, the Long Beach Police Department’s (LBPD) budget is increasing once again, set at over $383 million for 2026.
The Police Department’s annual budget has more than doubled over the last 20 years, and has only seen small decreases four times during the same timeframe. The LBPD has reported a drop in property crime (23%), robberies (18%), homicide (27%) and shootings (29%), while the proposed budget for 2026 shows a 9% increase.
This increase does not include the department’s additional requests, mostly from Measure A funds, which include $300,000 for a new drone patrol pilot program, for which there are no City policies in place. LBPD is also the department that receives the largest chunk of Measure A funds, a voter-approved sales tax for public safety and infrastructure.
In 2026, the Police Department is set to receive almost $27 million in structural funding from Measure A, and another $2.5 million in one-time uses. LBPD’s internal revenue is showing decreases from last year, from $54 million in 2025 to $48 million expected in 2026.
The Long Beach Police Department currently employs over 1,200 people, including 453 officers in the Patrol Bureau. They receive about 594 calls for service per day, and have an average response time of 5.8 minutes, according to the department.
Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said the department needs more money to handle the increase in large events in the city, to recruit and train more officers, enhance technology upgrades, follow legislative mandates and reporting requirements, and invest in employee wellness and retention.
The 2026 Police Department budget can be broken down as follows:
- $147,601,646 in salaries and wages
- $127,641,297 in employee benefits
- $44,929,365 in interfund support
- $13,006,519 in overtime
- $10,386,096 in materials, supplies and services
- $275,420 in intrafund support
- $153,260 in operating transfers
- $1,000 for gas and water
- $400 for insurance premium and losses
Hebeish proposed these one-time allocations:
- $1.5 million for construction of a Real-Time Crime Center, from Measure A funds.
- $1.5 million to replace and upgrade helicopter cameras and systems.
- $1.3 million for High Crime Focus Team, which focuses on patrolling neighborhoods, arresting known suspects and seizing illegal guns; from Measure A funds.
- $300,00 for a Drone Patrol pilot program to test the use of drone technology in daily operations and large events, from Measure A funds.
- $150,000 in one-time funds for Youth and Young Women Leadership Academies for two mentorship and career development programs, from Measure A funds.
Main takeaway: DRONES
If the $300,000 request in Measure A funds are approved, LBPD will roll out a new drone patrol pilot program with four drones in 2026. Hebeish said officers have already received training for the new devices, which will respond to calls from residents to assess the situation and see if an officer is needed.
Cities like Chula Vista have had similar programs in place since 2018, and New York City has around 100 drones responding to calls throughout the city.
The Police Department already uses drones for swat operations and crowd management, Hebeish said. In the most recent Military Equipment Report from 2023, LBPD reports having:
- Three DJI Matrice 100 drones worth $15,000
- DJI Matrice 30 drone worth $19,000
- DJI Matrice 350 drone worth $39,000
- Six DJI Phantom drones worth $30,000
They also have a mobile surveillance system with no price listed in the report.
Long Beach currently doesn’t have any policies in place surrounding the use and surveillance of residents using drones, so Hebeish said they will be following “special order” policies to ensure “lawful, ethical operations.”
If the program is approved and made permanent, only then will the City have to create policies regarding the use of drones in everyday operations.
Additional Notes
The Police Department is moving 25 people from the Vice and Drug Investigations Detail to make a Societal Crimes Section, which will focus on narcotics, animal abuse, weapons violations, human trafficking investigations, business vandalism and business district complaints.
Since the LBPD’s contract with the Metro is ending in 2026, they are also bringing 11 officers into citywide patrol roles. They are also adding eight positions to the Community Service Assistant Program, which handles low-priority calls and helps staff special events.
