City of Long Beach Announces Retirement of Chief of Police Wally Hebeish

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach today announced the upcoming retirement of Chief of Police Wally Hebeish. Chief Hebeish has served as the City's 27th Chief of Police since December 2021, overseeing the second largest municipal police agency in Los Angeles County with a staff of 800 sworn officers and approximately 1,200 personnel. After over 32 years of service and five years as the Chief of Police, Chief Hebeish's last day of service will be Dec. 31, 2026.

"Chief Hebeish has led the Long Beach Police Department through a transformative period in modern policing, and he has done so with integrity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to our community," said City Manager Tom Modica. "He has built a Department that is further grounded in community trust, equity, employee wellness and keeping every neighborhood safe, and Long Beach is stronger because of his leadership. We thank Chief Hebeish for his decades of public service and wish him the best in his retirement. As we begin the search for our next Chief of Police, we will build on the strong foundation he leaves behind."

Chief Hebeish began his career in law enforcement with the Orange County Sheriff's Department in 1994 before laterally joining the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) in 1995. Before being appointed Chief of Police in December 2021, Chief Hebeish promoted through every rank within the LBPD, including serving as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of the Support Bureau, Deputy Chief of the Patrol Bureau and Assistant Chief of Police. He has worked in a variety of assignments throughout his career and has extensive experience in the areas of Criminal Intelligence, Investigations, Patrol and Internal Affairs.

During his tenure with the LBPD, Chief Hebeish has helped lead and inspire the Department through many challenges and has been instrumental in the implementation of programs to address crime, guide organizational growth, improve employee wellness and increase public trust. Placing health and wellness at the forefront of his leadership, he created the Department's first Wellness Division and the Community Services Bureau to ensure that the health and wellness of Department staff translated into the health and wellness of the community they serve. Additionally, his investment in programs to close gender disparities in law enforcement has resulted in more women in positions of leadership than any prior time in the Department's history.

Chief Hebeish has remained committed to policing principles rooted in customer service and strengthening relationships within Long Beach's diverse community and within the organization. Under his tenure as Chief, Long Beach experienced year-over-year reductions in shootings as well as zero officer-involved shootings in 2025, the first time in Department history.

"It has been an incredible honor to stand alongside the dedicated men and women of the Long Beach Police Department in service of our community," said Chief of Police Wally Hebeish. "Leading our police department through some of the most challenging times we have faced in modern law enforcement was only possible because of the support given to me by our police officers, professional staff, labor partners, city leadership, and the Long Beach community. I will be forever grateful for the trust placed in me to lead our department and serve our city."

Chief Hebeish's notable accomplishments include:

• Focused investments in recruitment and retention, contributing to the hiring and graduation of the largest class in Department history.
• Zero officer-involved shootings in 2025, a first in Department history.
• Completion, certification and grand opening of the new LBPD Police Academy, a facility that represents the Department's commitment to providing the highest level of training needed to develop the next generation of law enforcement leaders.
• Year-over-year reductions in shootings since 2021.
• Creation of the Department's Community Services Bureau dedicated to fostering strong relationships between the LBPD and the community it serves, as well as strategic reorganization to create the Communications Division and expand the Youth and Community Engagement Division.
• Dedication to community policing initiatives such as the creation of the Neighborhood Safety Bike Team and expansion of the Quality of Life Team.
• Focus on crime reduction and recovery of illegal firearms, especially through strategic enforcement efforts and the creation of the High Crime Focus Team, which supports patrol operations by responding to citywide public safety concerns, ranging from violent crime and illegal firearms to business corridor safety and quality of life issues.
• Investment in innovation and technology, such as the launch of the Real Time Crime Center, drones to support field operations, and new crime dashboard contributing to increased information sharing and community access to Department information.
• Creation and annual release of the LBPD Year in Review and Accountability Report, as part of the department's ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability and internal and external communications.

Chief Hebeish is a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Association. Chief Hebeish is a graduate of the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute and has attended the Harvard University Public Safety Leadership Summit. He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) National Executive Institute. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Long Beach State University and a master's degree in communication from Southern New Hampshire University.

The City Manager plans to conduct a national recruitment process that will allow for well-qualified candidates both internally and externally, with an outside recruiter to be brought on to run the process. Prior to the selection of the new Police Chief, there will be a community input process to provide the City Manager feedback on what residents are seeking in their next Chief of Police, which will in turn help inform the selection process. This process will take place over the next few months with an announcement of the next Chief of Police expected in early 2027. Candidates will undergo a multi-step screening and interview process with Human Resources, a community panel, a technical panel, City department directors and ultimate selection by the City Manager.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

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