Reflecting on some of his main goals as Long Beach’s new police chief, Wally Hebeish said in an interview Tuesday that he’s aiming to continue tackling gun violence while pushing for more police training and growth of the department’s relationship with the community.
Hebeish became chief on Jan. 1, after he was appointed to the position last month following former Chief Robert Luna’s retirement. Hebeish joined the department in 1994 and has served in a variety of roles, most recently as assistant chief since 2019.
Hebeish, 52, said that he plans to continue the work he’s done and has a long list of goals for the department, leading more than 800 sworn officers in a department with more than 1,200 employees.
In the interview Tuesday, Hebeish shared how he feels about being chief and some of those goals:
Q: What does it mean to you, both personally and professionally, to be appointed as the police chief for the city of Long Beach?
A: “Personally, for me, it’s something so unique and different. I’m the only police officer in my family, I don’t come from a law enforcement family. I come from a traditional Arab American family, where the kids became accountants, engineers or lawyers.
It really is so rewarding to know that I’m in a position to lead an organization that I’ve grown up in that is full of people, both civilian and sworn, that are so resilient and have overcome so many challenges over the past few years. Throughout my career, but really the past few years – in terms of the civil unrest, the reforms, evolution in policing after the murder of George Floyd, economic downturn – so much thrown at this profession and this department.
To watch the people that work here continue to move forward, move the needle on policing and the public safety profession is so inspiring for me. It’s a big part of why I even chose to apply for the chief position.”
Q: What interested you in pursuing a career in law enforcement?
A: “There were a lot of influences in my life, starting with my parents. Coming from the Middle East and a country where you weren’t able to express your opinion in the way you could, hearing and learning about having respect for others, and a level of having courtesy and treating people with dignity is something I learned early on from my parents.
That was kind of the initial draw to service, which wasn’t necessarily law enforcement. It created a feeling in me where I really did not like seeing people victimized, bullied or treated unfairly growing up.
Then there were other influences within my group of friends, people I knew in the profession, that really drew me to policing. Not just public safety but policing in general and the good that could come of policing, and what you could do for a community as a police officer.”
Q: How do you feel about where the department is, currently?
A: “I think we are extremely well-positioned for the future. If I didn’t feel that way, I would not have applied for this position. I think the advancements we have made are worth noting, but the work is not done. The work continues and needs to continue because policing is an evolution of a job, you should never want to maintain the status quo.”
Q: During the last budget cycle, there were calls from police reform advocates to shift some LBPD funding toward social services, such as affordable housing or after-school programs. What are your thoughts on balancing those two, ensuring a well-funded police department with increasing funding for social services?
A: “I don’t think investment in social service areas and areas that need investment equals divesting in police.
There are a variety of things that require funding in policing. I believe in working with all of our city partners to address issues in public safety and addressing issues that have faced marginalized or communities of color in the past that haven’t had opportunities. It goes back to evaluating the root causes of crime in some of those communities and how we can put systems in place to change the trajectory of individuals that may end up in the criminal justice system.”
Q: What are your plans for the department moving forward in the short term and the long term and how do you plan to achieve those goals?
A: “Investing in employee wellness, in community wellness through trauma-informed care and supporting programs that provide support and counseling for community members who may have witnessed critical incidents or victims of crime, along with our employees.
Pushing forward on training, investing in training that’s relevant today and evaluating everything we’re doing. Investing in the Office of Constitutional Policing, allowing it to grow and allowing that office to evaluate our processes and guide us moving forward as a police department.”
