Seal Beach Police Department

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Seal Beach Police Department, one can feel quite flustered, mostly just from fear of the unknown.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty and competence of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you. 

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release may help.  It is also good to know what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime or crimes that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime or crimes. 

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crimes the department investigates and just a bit about the area’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The Seal Beach Police Department is a small police department with thirty-seven sworn officers, eight reserve police officers, sixteen civilian employees, and forty senior volunteers. 

The Seal Beach Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Seal Beach, a city of 11.80 square miles and, as of 2020, with a population of 25,242.

Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County.  To the northwest, just across the border with Los Angeles County, lies the city of Long Beach and the adjacent San Pedro Bay.  To the southeast are Huntington Harbor, a neighborhood of Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach, also part of Huntington Beach.  To the east lie the city of Westminster and the neighborhood of West Garden Grove, part of the city of Garden Grove.  To the north lie the unincorporated community of Rossmoor and the city of Los Alamitos.  A majority of the city's acreage is devoted to the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach military base.

Surfing has always had a presence in Seal Beach. Newspaper advertisements showing surfers were part of Guy M. Rush's "Seal Beach" campaign of 1913.  The town hosted the mainland's first surfing competition—it was at a private gathering of the annual Minnesota Picnic.  But its popularity really took off after the war with the arrival of legendary surfer Blackie August, who taught many of the local kids how to surf.  August's son, Robert, was one of the pair of surfers featured in the classic surf film, Endless Summer.

For arrests along the freeways crossing Seal Beach, such as the I-405 (the San Diego Freeway) and SR-22 (the Garden Grove Freeway), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Seal Beach Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Seal Beach jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.

The deadliest mass killing in Orange County history occurred in Seal Beach.  On October 12, 2011, a mass shooting took place at the local Salon Meritage hair salon.  Eight people inside the salon and one person in the parking lot were shot, and only one victim survived.  The suspect in the shooting, 41-year-old Scott Evans Dekraai, was arrested without incident and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.  Prior to the shooting, there had been only one murder in Seal Beach during the previous four years.

As of 2020, the city’s population was 66.61% non-Hispanic white, 14.26% Asian, 1.47% African American and 12.49% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the Seal Beach Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Westminster Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Driver West in downtown Santa Ana.  Cases that may be filed at the Central Justice Center instead of at the Westminster Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps thirty cases arising out the Seal Beach Police Station and brought in the Westminster Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to public urination to shoplifting. 

Below is the Google Map to the Seal Beach Police Department.