How Safe is Long Beach?

Aaron Vargas, a student at California State University, Long Beach, and a lifelong resident of Long Beach, explained that he feels safe walking around campus at any time of day. He claimed there are security patrols on the streets and 911 poles around campus, helping him feel safe during his time at school.

“I do feel safe as I have not seen any kind of activity that would warrant fear,” said Vargas. “At night the campus is virtually empty and locked up.”

Vargas said there is constant patrolling near the library due to unhoused individuals who make students feel uneasy. He feels that patrolling should extend across other buildings on campus as well as walking female students to their vehicles after sundown.

[Editor Note: This exists. It’s called the Night Safety Escort Program. You may request a CSO escort  by calling the University Police non-emergency line at (562) 985-4101 (extension 5-4101 from a campus phone). If necessary, you may also request an escort by using one of the “Blue Light” emergency telephones located throughout campus. Escort hours are Sunday–Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to midnight and Friday–Saturday, 5:30-9:30 p.m.]

“I think patrolling across certain buildings should also happen, such as the Horn Center, as some students who study there have also felt uneasy when homeless people walk around the building at night,” Vargas said.

Having had a safe experience so far on his college campus, Vargas explained that growing up in his neighborhood of Long Beach was not always the case. Growing up in the city he lived near rival gangs but found that 20 years later, the gangs had moved to another side of town and remained inactive.

“Sometimes social media and news reports do make me feel a little at ease as recently helicopters were circling my neighborhood which has hardly happened in the past 10 years,” said Vargas. “Seeing police patrolling my street multiple times at night was unnerving.

Vargas said he hardly ever sees violence in his area and if so, continues with his day, unbothered. He believes adults should always keep going and that tragedies should not hinder progress despite their occurrence.

Giovanni Gonzalez, who visits Long Beach a few times a month, explained how safe he feels in the city. Occasionally, he comes down to the area for last-minute plans with his friends, the beach, or breweries. He described feeling as safe as in his home city of South Gate.

“Not being on my own would bring a better sense of safety. Being alone anywhere always brings a bigger risk factor,” said Gonzalez. “But that isn’t exclusive to Long Beach.”

Gonzalez explained he would feel safer if he were accompanied by someone on his outings to the city, but this applies anywhere he goes. He mentioned safety is something you must always look out for due to the intentions of others.

“The beach is always nice to see and personally brings me a sense of peace. I bet it could do the same for others,” said Gonzalez. “Though for attractions, it wouldn’t exactly be easy to argue that it’s so special.”

Gonzalez recommends Long Beach to family and friends as a place to visit for its many scenic attractions, sense of safety, and familiarity with the places. He recalls feeling safe and comfortable especially compared to other cities in Los Angeles but never lets his guard down.

“I’m not going to kid myself and say that it’s just as bad as other areas of LA,” he said. “So even though by some degree it may seem ‘safer’, it doesn’t make me necessarily feel safe.”

Gonzalez said he has not seen any overly excessive police activity in the city or any social media posts shifting his perspective of Long Beach. Although he does see many advertisements for places to visit, views to see, or attractions that catch his eye.

“I do admit it does make me want to go back and explore more of the city,” said Gonzalez. “Makes me believe there’s a lot to do over there in particular.”

 It is important to note that safety concerns are present, and not all experiences are the same, but they have never felt in immediate danger. Gonzalez and Vargas have spent much of their time in Long Beach for distinct reasons, experiencing mostly peaceful moments.