“Localism,” or sometimes referred to as territorialism, will not be tolerated in Palos Verdes Estates.  This is occasionally reported as an act of intimidation or dissuasion on the part of locals targeting out-of-town surfers to prevent them from surfing local waters.  Or, there may be acts of vandalism to vehicles, personal property, etc., for the purpose of driving out-of-area guests away from the coastal areas.

The beaches, shoreline, and surfing areas along the Palos Verdes Estates coastline are all open to the public.  There are no private beaches.  Therefore, if you or anyone with you experiences any form of harassment, intimidation, assault, vandalism, etc., you are strongly urged to contact the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department to immediately report the incident.

Our officers are committed to assuring beach access and recreational tranquility to all people accessing the Palos Verdes Estates coastline.

Report these incidents to 310-378-4211, or if life threatening call 9-1-1.

City Comments on Surfer Issues:

Protecting all

The City and its Police Department are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all.  We are happy to report that a recent rash of burglaries have declined, and we believe this is due to the hard work of our police department and increased awareness among homeowners to ensure their residences are properly secured.  Several arrests were made. Our police department continues to monitor the situation and will take the necessary steps should we experience a return of this activity.

 In recent weeks, there has been renewed attention regarding the safety of our beaches, notably complaints that a few surfers are allegedly demonstrating intimidation tactics to “protect” the waters for local surfers. As with any complaint or concern about public safety, our Police Department investigates and evaluates the situation, and will take appropriate action.  As with any public facility, we want to ensure our residents and the public can enjoy areas, such as Lunada Bay, in peace.  As such, police patrols of our beach areas may increase from time to time.  There also have been news media reports focusing attention on an unpermitted outdoor structure at Lunada Bay and whether this structure is a contributing factor to the complaints we have received.  No decisions have been made about the structure, but the City and the Police Department are evaluating various options.  Again, our goal is to ensure the safety of all.     

We welcome your input and encourage an exchange of factual information.  One of the ways that the City and Police Department communicate to residents on safety matters such as this is through the Neighborhood Watch program.  Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming community outreach programs hosted by the Neighborhood Watch, that when scheduled are posted on www.pvenw.org.  Questions about Neighborhood Watch, burglaries in the community or public safety along the coastline can be directed to Chief Luke Hellinga in the Police Department at 310.378.4211 (non-emergency business line).