SHPD Special Section

The Signal Hill Police Station, officers and city dignitaries in the 1960s

The newly built Signal Hill Police Station and Emergency Operations Center Photo by Matt Sun

Special commemorative pull-out sectionJanuary 25, 2013

T R I B U N ESignalSignal

COMMEMORATING THE GRAND OPENINGOF THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL’S

NEW POLICE STATION

SHPD section_Layout 1 1/25/13 12:31 PM

JANUARY 25, 20132 SIGNAL TRIBUNE

2633 Cherry Ave. Signal Hill www.shpi.net

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JANUARY 25, 2013 THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION SIGNALTRIBUNE 3

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A new, 21,500-square-footstation, encompassing two build-ings equipped with state-of-the-art technology andenvironmentally friendly designcomponents, will now be theheadquarters of the Signal HillPolice Department. The City ofSignal Hill will mark the occa-sion with a dedication and openhouse on Saturday, Jan. 26 from1pm to 3pm, at the new station,located at 2745 Walnut Ave.

The project’s backgroundThe new station was part of

the Signal Hill Civic CenterProject, which also encompassesa new library. Initial planning forthe new library began in 1998,and the planning of the new

police station started in 2000.The projects involved multiplecitizen committees, three roundsof applications for State grants, afailed local ballot measure tofinance the improvements, andthe active involvement of theSignal Hill RedevelopmentAgency (SHRDA).The planning for the two proj-

ects was eventually combinedand coordinated, with the policestation being the first phase sinceit was to be relocated away fromthe Civic Center complex. Thenew police station is located onproperty the SHRDA acquiredapproximately three-quarters ofa mile from the Civic Center.The relocation of the new

police station created an oppor-

tunity to construct the newlibrary on the site of the existingstation, as well as preservingpublic open space. It also createda series of construction and envi-ronmental challenges, includingsoil remediation and the testingof an on-site abandoned oil well.The construction challengesinclude the removal of the fullbasement from the old policestation, stabilization of thelibrary building, and re-gradingthe northern portion of SignalHill Park.

Meeting a needAccording to the City’s Civic

Center Project Plan, the needfor both a new police stationand library had become evident

in the late 1990s. The city’spopulation had grown from5,588 in 1970 to 9,300 in theyear 2000. The current popula-tion of Signal Hill is more than11,000 residents.A Citizens Blue-Ribbon

Committee studied the existingstation and recommended itsdemolition and replacement in2002. In November of 2009, the

SHRDA issued a $20.6 millionbond to build the new station. InMarch of 2011, the SHRDAissued an $8.8 million bond toconstruct a new library. Construction on the new

police station, which occupies ablock starting at the corner of27th Street and Walnut Avenue,

began in Novem-ber of 2010. Dem-olition of the oldstation is sched-uled to begin thisMarch.

The new, ‘green’ facilityThe new station boasts solar

panels that provide shade forthe department’s patrol carsand the mobile command cen-ter. Windows have been

designed to let in natural lightthroughout the building, andthe automatic lighting systemadjusts its electrical lights tomaximize use of natural light. A drip-irrigation system

provides water to the drought-tolerant plants that have beenplaced all over the grounds.Water runoff on the propertywill stream through vegetativebioswales that will filter wastein the water before it drainsinto the street. The building has instant

water heaters instead of waterboilers. Each room will haveits own energy-efficient air-conditioning system.

The Signal Hill Police Department gets a new home

Matt Sun/Signal TribuneThe new, 21,500-square-foot station encompasses two buildings equipped with state-of-the-art technology and environmentally friendlydesign components.


JANUARY 25, 20134 SIGNAL TRIBUNE


JANUARY 25, 2013 THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION SIGNALTRIBUNE 5Building a ‘modern’ police station for a growing communitySean BelkStaff Writer

Nearly a decade ago, Signal Hill City offi-cials and community members envisioned a new“modern” police station that would be nearly twicethe size of the existing station and come equippedwith the latest technology, a new emergency-oper-ations center (EOC) and enough room to accom-modate a police force that has grown along withthe City’s population. That vision becomes a reality next Tuesday,

Jan. 29, when the Signal Hill Police Departmentofficially relocates operations and staff from theaging nearly 13,000-square-foot building on HillStreet to a new 21,500-square-foot facility at2745 Walnut Ave. Building a new police station from scratch,

however, wasn’t an easy task, explains Signal HillCity Manager Ken Farfsing. He said the undertak-ing required years of planning with various com-munity members to determine how to finance theendeavor, come up with the best location and pin-point the police department’s needs. The nearly $20-million project also involved

issuing bonds through redevelopment after a failedutility-tax measure, finishing a lengthy land-acqui-sition procedure through eminent domain, cleaningup oil contamination and completing the construc-tion phase that took nearly two years after a con-tractor abruptly pulled out of the project. Although it’s been a long process, Farfsing said

the new building is well worth the wait. “It’s noteasy to build public facilities,” he said. “This is amajor facility that’s going to last the city 100 yearsor more, and it takes time to really do it the rightway… We needed a complete modernization ofour police department’s facility.”Starting next week, the new police station will

feature a dispatch center with state-of-the-art com-munications systems and an EOC that is approxi-mately 300 square feet larger than the EOC in theold building. The new EOC enables the City toassist the community and nearby public-safetyagencies and communities in emergencies and nat-ural disasters. The EOC will also be available forcommunity groups to use as a meeting room. In addition, the new station was built using:

Art-Deco architecture to mirror City structures;environmentally friendly features, including solarpanels and drought-tolerant landscaping; and thehighest building-safety and seismic standards towithstand major earthquakes and other disasters.The new structure also allows for future expansionto meet the long-term needs of the police depart-ment, City officials said.

A growing police forceThe push to build a new police station was pri-

marily driven by an assessment of police-facilityneeds commissioned by WMM and Associates in2002 that determined the Signal Hill PoliceDepartment had officially “outgrown” its policestation.As the City’s population has increased from

about 4,600 to 11,300 residents in the last 50 years,following substantial commercial and residentialdevelopments, Signal Hill’s police force has alsogrown, doubling from 25 to nearly 50 staff mem-bers, including police officers and administration. The police station on Hill Street was first built

in the 1960s and then renovated in the 1970s at theCivic Center between City Hall and the Signal HillLibrary. However, the building has become moreand more cramped throughout the years. Farfsingsaid the City added six additional police officersand other personnel in the last few years that onlycompounded the problem. Police Chief Michael Langston said the depart-

ment’s old facility no longer meets the standards oftoday’s police needs. For instance, emergencyoperations, including briefing and dispatch opera-tions, function out of a single room that serves asthe department’s EOC, while a lieutenant worksout of an office the size of a “converted closet,” hesaid. “I have six employees who work in records,

and, really, there’s only space for about three peo-ple there,” Langston said. “They can’t really sitdown and do their work effectively, and that’shampering our effectiveness and our efficiency…We don’t even have enough parking for all of ouremployees to park here.”He added that the old police facility is also in

need of repairs, including upgrades to plumbingand air-conditioning systems and new ceiling pan-els due to water damage.The needs-assessment findings were studied by

a 22-member Blue-ribbon committee, formed in2004 to provide a balance of community interestson the subject. Committee members included res-idents, local business representatives, communityleaders, City staff and Police Officers Associationmembers.

Instead of putting more money into an agingstructure that was considered “undersized” evenwhen it was first built, the committee concludedthat building a new station would be the most “effi-cient and cost-effective” option. It was also deter-mined that the old facility would have needednumerous upgrades to meet current public-facilitybuilding codes. Plans called for building a new facility that

would accommodate a new EOC and new policetechnology. Anything other than a new facility wasconsidered a “Band-Aid” solution, City staff said.“There was just so much work that needed to bedone, sometimes you’re better off tearing thingsdown and starting over,” Farfsing said.

How it was financedA major goal of the committee was to come

up with a way to finance the new station. The first recommendation was to propose a

temporary three-percent utility tax to fund theconstruction of a new station initially proposedon a site on Spud Field in the Civic Center nearthe existing building. That proposal eventuallywent on the election ballot but failed to receive amajority support from voters, Farfsing said. After regrouping, the City then decided that

the best way to finance the project would be toissue bonds through the former Signal Hill Rede-velopment Agency (RDA), he said. Farfsing saidthe police station project was one of the last rede-velopment activities able to go forward beforeredevelopment was abolished by the State, andthe funding allocation was also recognized by theState as an enforceable obligation.The redevelopment bonds raised $18 million

to fund the acquisition of the site and constructionof the police station. The funding also includesreimbursement of previous expenditures ofapproximately $1.2 million for costs associatedwith design, project management and legal serv-ices. Farfsing said funding the project through

bonds paid off by existing property-tax-incrementfunds enables the City to build the station withouthaving to pass new taxes on to residents. “It’s keeping our local property taxes local,”

he said. “When people pay their property taxes inSignal Hill, they’re essentially supporting the newstation, which, to me, is pretty worthwhile.”

Finding a locationFinding a suitable location for the police facil-

ity was also a challenge. The City evaluated adozen potential sites for the new police stationusing a series of site-selection criteria. Any potential site was required to: be located

outside of the Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone; provideaccess to major streets to enable the police toquickly respond to calls; have “minimal” site-

development constraints, such as interferencefrom oil well operations; be located in a “central-ized easy-to-find location;” and minimize the lossof existing park land.The location of the new station eventually

came down to two sites: an undeveloped three-acre site on Spring Street within the Signal HillAuto Center, and a four-acre property located onthe northwest corner of Walnut Avenue and 27thStreet. In 2007, it was eventually determinded that

the property on Walnut Avenue as the most suit-able site for the station, due to its larger size, “cen-tralized” location and access to major streetsgiving the police better response capability.

Acquiring the landAfter settling on the four-acre site on Walnut

Avenue, acquiring the land required a lengthyprocess, Farfsing said. The site, which was once used as a site for

“concerts in the park,” had been a vacant fieldfor decades, he said. The distressed property,however, was owned by more than 7,000 indi-vidual property owners who first purchasedsmall parcels from oil speculators in the 1920sand set up property sales to raise money to drilloil, Farfsing said. “What happened was two wells were put on

the property, and a large tank was put in, butover time, these property owners got lost,” hesaid. “Some perhaps were grandfathered in witha deed and never passed it on. Derricks weretaken out, the big tank disappeared, and no onecould really pull together ownership interests.”In the 1960s, Texaco Inc., as the unit opera-

tor of the Signal Hill West Unit, attempted tocontact the numerous vested owners in anattempt to purchase the fee interest in the prop-erty but later terminated their efforts since theycould only find an estimated 6.25-percent of theoriginal deed holders, City officials said. The City then decided to use the redevelop-

ment agency’s powers of eminent domain tocondemn the property in court since the lease-holders couldn’t be located. “We did a prettyextensive check and found some additionallease holders,and we even-tually endedup going tocourt to con-demn out theproperty,because thedeeds had dis-appeared”Farfsing said.

Construction phaseConstruction work began on the project

in November 2010. However, in February oflast year, the original contractor, Irvine-based FTR International, abandoned the job,leaving no response to any of the City’scommunications. Still, City officials said the work stop-

page didn’t end up costing the City anymoney. FTR had posted a bond, as requiredby state law in case the company defaultedon the contract, acting as an insurance pol-icy.Once City officials had determined that

FTR had defaulted, the City formally termi-nated the contract and contacted the bondcompany– Arch Insurance, based inPhiladelphia. The bond company thenbrought in a new general contractor, KempBrothers Construction, based in Santa FeSprings, which restarted the work in May.Although the work abandonment, in addi-

tion to a heavy rain season last year, endedup delaying the project by several months,Signal Hill Deputy City Manager CharlieHoneycutt said the construction project isestimated to come in about $2.5 millionunder budget. In the end, he said the new station will

help the police department become moreefficient and now gives the City the capabil-ity to not only serve the Signal Hill commu-nity but other nearby communities in thegreater region as well, while partnering withpublic-safety agencies from Long Beach andLos Angeles County due to the station’sproximity to the airport, the Port of LongBeach and the Port of LA.“Eventually time comes when you just

need to build new facilities,” Honeycutt said.“[The new station] clearly makes a muchbetter environment for us to help the com-munity if there is an emergency... We’regoing to be in an environment that’s a littlemore manageable, and it’s going to make itmore efficient for us to respond.”

City of SHAn aerial photo shows the four-acre site of the new police station on Walnut Avenue between 27th and 28th streets during construction.

We are proud to join theCity of Signal Hill in celebratingthe opening of its brand-newCITY OF SIGNAL HILL

POLICE STATION


JANUARY 25, 20136 SIGNAL TRIBUNE THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION

CJ DabloStaff Writer

Signal Hill’s police officers intheir early days had their work cutout for them in the town that wasstarting to truly feel the effects ofoil speculation in the 1920s. Signal Hill’s board of trustees

organized quickly in their first yearof Signal Hill’s incorporation in1924. A month after incorporation,the trustees named George P.Millovich to be Signal Hill’s firstcity marshal. The trustees approvedorders for sirens, caps and badgesfor their fledgling police depart-ment. The trustees even readilyagreed to hiring staff to helpMillovich in that first year, but theydid require some sacrifices fromthe police staff. The first motorcy-cle officer– hired at a starting salaryof $165 per month– was requiredby the trustees to furnish his ownmotorcycle and maintain it on hisown dime. City records and pictures sug-

gest that by 1925, the police wereworking in a civic center locatedon the northeast corner of what isnow 21st Street and CherryAvenue, just east of the HinshawBuilding.The police department must

have faced some unique challengesin order to maintain law and orderin those early days. The city waschanging– and changing speedily–with the discovery of oil. Dr. CraigHendricks, a professor at the His-tory and Political Science Depart-ment at Long Beach City College,

described how the discovery of oilfundamentally changed the agri-cultural town previously knownfor its cucumbers and strawberries.“It’s like a gold strike…when

you have a sudden development ofa natural resource like oil, itattracts all sorts of people,” saidHendricks in an interview Thurs-day. “Workers and entrepreneurs,but also prostitution and gambling,illegal alcohol. You name it.”The historical archives from the

Los Angeles Times confirm Hen-dricks’s assessment that the areaattracted the criminal element. Thearchives offer a few stories of sen-sational arrests in the early 1920sin Signal Hill. One news accountfrom 1922– just two years beforethe city was incorporated– detailedhow Long Beach police officersraided three hotels in Signal Hilland arrested 14 people connectedwith these “vice dens.” The articleoffered juicy descriptions ofroulette wheels, marked cards andloaded dice for illegal gambling,“public women,” alcohol and lotsof guns. Prohibition was well under-

way by the time Signal Hill incor-porated, and Prohibition meantthe same thing just about every-where in the United States– boot-legging. Hendricks said that byaround 1924 and 1925, “LongBeach and Signal Hill are awashin an ocean of illegal alcohol.” According to Hendricks, the

alcohol was produced eitherlocally in stills or were broughtin from Mexico or Canada. Hen-

dricks described how the LongBeach police department alonewas making dozens of arrestsrelated to illegal alcohol everyday. The punishment usuallyinvolved a choice between jailtime or a fine, according to Hen-

dricks. Often, the accused wouldchoose to pay the fine that couldtotal a few hundred dollars. “And so what…prohibition

becomes for the City of LongBeach and for the City of LosAngeles and for the City of Sig-

nal Hill is a vast money-makingmachine,” Hendricks said. Headded that Long Beach col-lected about $77,000 in fines in1925, which was for that time alot of money.To give some perspective, the

Signal Hill Police Department’sentire budget for a staff of fivemen totaled $12,000 in the fiscalyear ending 1930, according to afinancial report from Signal Hill:The Magic Mound, a citybrochure that was recovered bymembers of the Signal Hill His-torical Society. Indeed, Signal Hill’s police

force had its share of drama in itsfirst year. The Dec. 15, 1924minutes of Signal Hill’s board oftrustees offered one clue. Sevenmonths after Millovich washired as the city’s first city mar-shal, he resigned, and the boardthat night immediately named asuccessor, Fred Hawkins, toreplace Millovich. A strangetwist to the story occurred justdays later. The Dec. 22 minutesreported that Fred Hawkinsdied, and the board of trusteescalled a special meeting toaddress Millovich’s resignation.They named yet another succes-sor to the office of city marshal–Roy Gregg.There is likely much more to

this story, but available histori-cal rescources are scarce. Theauthor of Signal Hill: The MagicMound didn’t take a dim view ofthe city, five years after the birth

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Prohibition was well underway by the time Signal Hill incorporated as a city. Here, city leaders ceremoniously destroy a stash of seized alcohol.

Welcoming SHPDto their new home!

Thank you for all you dofor all of us!

HIHIHIHI

Photos courtesy City of SH and SHHS A 1925 photo shows Signal Hill’s police station among the city hall offices on 21st Street, east of Cherry Avenue.


JANUARY 25, 2013 SIGNALTRIBUNE 7THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION

of the city and well after thatrocky inaugural year.“Notwithstanding the general

belief that an ‘oil town’ is neces-sarily a ‘tough’ one,” wrote the

brochure’s unidentified author,“we find those working and liv-ing in Signal Hill remarkablypeaceable and law abiding. It istrue we have our problems, but

not more than other cities of likesize, and considering the natureof our industries, we think weare remarkably fortunate in thisrespect.”

City leaders display a major stash of alcohol apparently uncovered by police during Prohibition.

In the 1960s, Signal Hill police headquarters moved into the location at 1800 Hill Street.

Congratulationson the new Police Facility

& Emergency Operations Center!

rEp r E s En t i n g t h E Cit y o F si g na l hi l la s Cit y at to r n Ey s i n C E 1978

Oil-recovery equipment proved extremely valuable during the town’s oil boom that began in the 1920s. Here, police officials display some stolen machinery and gear they recovered.

Sources: Sensational Raid: Long Beach Officers Put Stop to Carnivalof Vice Running in Hotels on Los Angeles Times (1886-1922); Mar.27, 1922; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times(1881-1989). pg. I7. Signal Hill: The Magic Mound. Pg. 19.


8 SIGNAL TRIBUNE JANUARY 25, 2013THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION

Michael LangstonWhat do you think will be the biggest differences between the oldpolice station and the new one?Space! The old station has insufficient space for our employees to dotheir work, and that will change with the new station. For example,we have six employees working in the Records Bureau in a spacedesigned for only three employees. The new station will have enoughspace for all of these employees to do their work simultaneously. Ihave a lieutenant who works out of a converted closet currently. Theseare just a few examples of space-related issues with the current facil-ity.

How do you think the distance between City Hall and the new police sta-tion will affect relations between the two entities?This distance will not change relationships between the two entities;The Department has already developed a policing plan for maintain-ing a significant presence around Signal Hill Park, the Library andCity Hall. Weekly Department Head meetings will be scheduled atthe new police facility on a rotational basis so that the City Manager,Deputy City Manager and Department Directors will have opportunityto interact with police staff. Frankly, it is not lost on any of us thatwe are all employees of the City of Signal Hill and serve the City ofSignal Hill.

How do you think the new station will change things for the department,in terms of recruitment, retention of personnel and day-to-day operations?The Signal Hill Police Department has always been able to attractquality applicants and employees. That said, I would expect thatpotential employees will appreciate the state-of-the-art facility andequipment when considering applying to the department as do ouremployees who will benefit from working in this exceptional facility.As far as day-to-day operations go, I fully expect the department tobecome more efficient and able to provide an even higher level ofservice to the community due to the enhanced capabilities resultingfrom the technologies built into the new facility.

How will the officers benefit in terms of sleeping accommodations in thenew station?Sleeping at the new station as it is now is not something that weencourage because it is better for our employees to go home and sleepin their own homes and beds where they feel more comfortable andcan relax. That said, the nature of police work is such that employeesperiodically get held over past their 12-hour scheduled work day andmight have to be back early the next day for court or their next shift.On those occasions, we do have two sleep rooms off of each lockerroom for employees to utilize if necessary. They are pretty basicaccommodations.

What is your overall vision of what the new police station will achieve interms of identity and credibility for the police department?We envision the new facility as a community police station wherepeople will feel comfortable coming to engage in community- as wellas police-related business. The Signal Hill Police Department hasalways strived to provide a very high level of service here in SignalHill. That effort will only be expanded with the utilization of the newfacility.

What comments are members of the police department staff makingabout the new station?Interestingly enough, we have many employees who have not had achance to see the regular progress of the new station from ground-breaking to now. Those that are just getting over to the new facilitynow are pretty amazed at what they see. Remember, they are used toworking in a facility that was originally built back in the ‘30s and thenupdated in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s. The current building has virtuallyno windows compared to the new facility that is very open and airy.They are awe struck by the space and beauty of the new facility.

What do you think will be the perception surrounding the new station’sclose proximity to one of the city’s two “gentleman’s clubs?”It really isn’t an issue. Officers will continue to patrol the City as theyhave in the past with the base station being the only change.

Chiefly speakingMeet the three police chiefs involved with the new police station projectSince the new Signal Hill police station has been in the works since the late 1990s, three different police chiefs have been in command of the department

during the planning and construction of the project. The Signal Tribune contacted Don Pedersen, Tom Sonoff and Michael Langston and asked each abouthis involvement with the project, the need for a new station and its future.

Don PedersenWhen did you serve as police chief of the SHPD? I wasappointed as the chief of police in January of 2001 and servedthrough May of 2006. Prior to that, I served in the OperationsBureau as commander for 3 years.

What were some of the challenges you and the departmentfaced with the old police station? The old police station wasvery small with very little space for various types of meetings,including everyday business meetings as well as communitymeetings. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was out-dated and required significant upgrades and improvements.The technology utilized was outdated and cumbersome. Addi-tionally, there was no room for growth in the old police depart-ment facility.

Since you were instrumental in the planning stages of the newstation, is there some disappointment that you won’t be ableto reap its benefits?Yes. I am disappointed, but I couldn’t bemore pleased for the men and women of the Signal Hill PoliceDepartment, who will have the good fortune of working in a con-temporary police facility. This is also fantastic for the residentsand business owners. Interestingly, I have been involved in theplanning stages of three public-safety facilities, all of which havenow been built. None of which I have worked in!

How do you think the new station will change things for thedepartment, in terms of recruitment, retention of personnel,and day-to-day operations? I think that the new facility willmake the department more effective and efficient in its day-to-day operations, and also I think by providing a nice working envi-ronment, it can only be beneficial in the recruitment and retentionof police personnel.

Who helped organize the Blue Ribbon Committee, and howdid it help to achieve the vision you had for the new police sta-tion? The Blue Ribbon Committee was instrumental in formingthe vision for not only the new facility, but also the police depart-ment’s staffing model. I organized the Blue Ribbon Committee,which consisted of critical stakeholders, including members ofthe community, with the assistance of the city manager, and theCity Council.

How do you think the distance between City Hall and the newpolice station will affect relations between the two entities? Idon’t believe that the short distance between City Hall and thenew police facility will negatively affect relations. In fact, it wasalways my experience that the relationship between the policedepartment and City Hall has been unparalleled.

I am so pleased that the vision has now become a reality, and Iam excited for the City.

Tom SonoffWhen did you serve as police chief of theSHPD? In what other ranks did youserve?I served as a captain from July 2001 to May2006. I was chief of police from May 2006 toNovember 2010.

What part did you play in the planning ofthe new police station? With whom didyou work? What input did you provide?I worked with Chief Pedersen, Charlie Honey-cutt and other City staff members in the siteselection process and the attempt to pass a bondto finance the project. Later, I worked withretired Captain Mary Risinger, Charlie Honey-cutt, Steve Wiley (architect) and others on thedesign of the building.

How do you think the new station willchange things for the department, interms of recruitment, retention ofpersonnel and day-to-day operations?The citizens of Signal Hill and the mem-bers of the Signal Hill Police Departmentdeserve a first-rate police facility. Themodern facility will allow the PoliceDepartment to further their mission of pro-viding quality law enforcement services tothe community with more space for newprograms, up-to-date technology, newEmergency Operations Center, etc. Thenew facility will help encourage potentialemployees to consider a career with theSignal Hill Police Department.

How do you think the distancebetween City Hall and the new policestation will affect relations betweenthe two entities? The distance betweenthe new police facility and city hall willnot have any effect on the relationshipbetween the two. With modern technol-ogy, communication is only a telephonecall or a mouse click away. The newpolice facility will also have plenty ofmeeting space, so meetings routinely heldat city hall can at times be held at thepolice department.

Ph: 562-713-4630 email: [email protected]© 2004 Coldwell Banker Corporation. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated. If your property is listed with another broker, this is not intended as solicitation.

-TERRY ROGERS

Congratulations to Chief langston and hisfellow shpd officers... i commend them

on being such a great police force!


JANUARY 25, 2013 SIGNALTRIBUNE 9



• 1924– City officials appoint George Millovich to serve as Signal Hill’s first city marshal.• 1960– Station on 1800 Hill Street opens where police staff of approximately 25 employees serves a population

of 4,600 residents.• 1970s– Updates to the station serve a new population of 5,588 residents.• 2002– WMM and Associates releases police-facility needs assessment that determines the police department has

“outgrown” its police station. Policedepartment staff grows to more than50 employees, serving a populationof more than 11,000 residents.• 2004– City Council commissionsa 22-member Blue-Ribbon Com-mittee to evaluate staffing and facil-ity needs identified by Police ChiefDon Pedersen. • 2009– Former Signal Hill Rede-velopment Agency begins processto issue bonds to fund the construc-tion of a new police station.• 2010– Construction of new stationbegins at 2745 Walnut Ave.• 2011– FTR International abandonsproject. Work is picked up by KempBrothers Construction.

• Jan. 26, 2013– Police department celebrates grand opening of Walnut Avenue location. • Jan. 29, 2013– Police department moves into new police station

A timeline of the past 89 years of law enforcement in Signal Hill

The Signal Hill Police Department in the 1960s

The Signal Hill Police Department in 1947

The new Signal Hill police station on Jan. 18, 2013

Timeline of events made possible with historical-research help from: Ken Davis and Keaton King of the Signal Hill Historical Society;Gail Ashbrooke of the Signal Hill Public Library; and Charlie Honeycutt and Rebecca Burleson of the City of Signal Hill.

Ken Farfsing City Manager

(Ad not paid for with City Funds)

Congratulationsto the City

and theSignal Hill

PoliceDepartmenton your new

police station!Charlie Honeycutt

Deputy City Manager


JANUARY 25, 2013 THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATION SIGNALTRIBUNE 11

CJ DabloStaff Writer

Signal Hill’s new police station is thefirst major civic construction projectsince the city yard was built in the 1980s,and really it’s the first and best shot forthe City to show just how green SignalHill projects can be. The people behind construction of the

building have been shooting for what’scalled LEED certification at the silverlevel, a high standard for environmen-tally friendly and sustainable practices.Certification will be verified through anindependent third-party organization.City officials won’t know if they did infact get that earth-friendly stamp ofapproval for a couple of months. Thecertification process won’t be completeduntil after building is opened, accordingto Paul Buckley of Simplus ManagementCorporation. Buckley serves as the con-struction manager for the police stationproject. He says that so far, the project is“on target” to achieve the silver level andexplained that the certification processhas specific goals and those involvedhave been tracking their progress to makesure they achieve these goals.

“What surprises me all the time– andI’m in the industry– is how comprehen-sive the LEED process is,” said Buckley,noting that the certification process hasstandards for lighting, energy consump-

tion, use of recycled materials, insulation,and even education. He added that certi-fication doesn’t just look at energy andcost. “But it also benefits the users on adaily basis…It’s a much more comfort-able environment to work in. You’re giv-ing them natural light. You’re givingthem fresh air. So it’s a win-win foreverybody overall. And that’s the thingthat impresses me most about the proj-ect.”Signal Hill Deputy City Manager

Charlie Honeycutt emphasized the impor-tance of achieving LEED certification.“I think it just shows that you’re doing

everything you can to…minimize theimpact of the environment, to reduceyour energy consumption, which alsoultimately reduces the impact of the envi-ronment,” said Honeycutt in an interviewMonday. Honeycutt and

Buckley discussed thelong list of green inno-vations for the 21,500-square-foot building.Solar panels have beeninstalled over the prop-erty storage buildingand the mobile com-mand center. Windowshave been designed tolet in lots of naturallight all over the build-ing, and the automatic

lighting system adjustsits electrical lights tomaximize the use of nat-ural light. A drip-irriga-tion system waters thedrought-tolerant plantsthat have been placed allover the property. Waterrunoff on the propertywill pass through vege-tative bioswales thatwill filter waste in thewater before it drainsinto the street. The

building has instant hot-water heatersinstead of hot water boilers.

Individual rooms will have their ownenergy efficient air-conditioning units.Honeycutt and Buckley explained thatusing individual air-conditioning and

heating units has an advantage overusing one central system to heat and coolareas. Workers could choose to turn offareas at night that weren’t in use whenmany of the staff leave at the end of theirshifts. They’ve also paid attention to the

green practices during the construc-tion process in their efforts to followthe requirements of the LEED certifi-cation process. They’ve put a systemin place that will eliminate hazardousproduction gases before the staff movesinto the building. Much of the construc-tion material has been recycled. Even before real construction began,

planners had to consider the hazards ofbuilding on land that has inherentsafety issues because of oil production.Honeycutt explained that there is a pos-sibility of naturally occurring methanegas, and a methane collection systemhas been put in place that safely ventsmethane through the roof of the build-ing.Signal Hill Councilmember Larry

Forester, who recently toured the newpolice station, called the building“spectacular” at last week’s councilmeeting and echoed the praise of sev-eral councilmembers.“The space is inviting for your

forces to come in and work,” Forestertold Police Chief Michael Langston.

Green enough? Planners hope police station’s earth-friendly innovations

achieve major environmental stamp of approval

Construction manager Paul Buckley points out the station’s individual heating and air-conditioning units on the rooftop.

Solar panels will save on energy costs for the new police station.

The Signal Hill Historical Society would like tocommend the men and women police officers

who have served our city all these years.We congratulate the city on their new police

station which is a milestone in the city's history.

Photos by CJ Dablo/Signal TribuneWindows on the roof and all around the building will let in natural light.

“...it’s a win-win foreverybody overall.

And that’s the thingthat impresses me most

about the project.”–Simplus ManagementCorporation constructionmanager Paul Buckley



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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neena R. StrichartASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Stephen M. StrichartMANAGING/DESIGN EDITOR

Cory BilickoASSISTANT EDITOR/STAFF WRITER

Sean BelkPRODUCTION MANAGER

Leighanna NierleSTAFF WRITER

CJ Dablo CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Matt SunGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Christy PardiniADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Jane FallonNeena Strichart

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/WEB MANAGER

Tanya PazEDITORIAL INTERNS

Kaelyn BrunoAriana Gastelum

Special thanks to Ken Davisfor providing historic photos

Sean BelkStaff Writer

It’s been nearly 10 yearssince Signal Hill City officialsfirst proposed the idea ofbuilding a new police station.Throughout that time, a widevariety of community mem-bers, from residents to busi-ness owners, to City andpolice officials, have beeninvolved almost every step ofthe way. In August 2004, a Signal

Hill Police Department Blue-Ribbon Committee wasappointed by the City Councilto evaluate the police depart-ment’s staffing and facilityneeds after an assessmentcommissioned by WMM andAssociates two years priordetermined that the depart-ment had “outgrown” itspolice station.The 22-member committee

met over an 11-month periodthrough various meetings toevaluate needs identified bythen Police Chief Don Peder-sen. Those needs includedwhether to add six police offi-cers to the department’s policeforce to meet increasing

demands of a growing com-munity and whether toupgrade the police station. The committee ultimately

recommended adding the newpolice officers after determin-ing that the department was“understaffed.” The committeealso recommended building anew police facility after con-cluding that the station on HillStreet was “old, undersizedand inefficient,” according to areport from the committee. A major responsibility of

the committee, however, wasto come to a “consensus” on away to finance the new policestation. After looking overseveral different fee options,the committee ended up rec-ommending a three-percentutility tax to fund the con-struction of the new building.The City Council scheduled avote on the utility tax measure,known as Measure H, for theNovember 8, 2005 election.However, Signal Hill votersoverwhelmingly rejected thetax measure. After regrouping, City staff

determined that the best optionto finance the police facility, inaddition to a new library, would

be to issue bonds through theformer Signal Hill Redevelop-ment Agency (SHRDA).

The original Civic CenterConcept Plan included con-structing the new police sta-tion on Spud Field, whichreceived considerable inputfrom the community. After aseries of community work-

shops, it was then determinedthat the most suitable locationwould be a four-acre sitelocated on Walnut Avenue. This month, nearly two

years after the original con-tractor first broke ground onthe project, the Signal HillPolice Department will relo-cate to a new 21,500-square-foot, modern facility. Although the committee’s

recommendation for a utility-tax measure was ultimatelyvoted down, Rose Richard, acurrent Signal Hill planningcommissioner and formerlongtime police volunteerwho served on the committee,said the community washeavily involved throughoutthe process. She said theproject was an example of thecommunity coming togetherto work on a common cause. “The committee was com-

prised of a really good crosssection of Signal Hill resi-dents, business people, Cityofficials and police person-nel,” Richard said. “It was aroundtable of ideas, andnobody’s ideas were dis-missed. They were all dis-cussed in an open forum, and

everybody had an opportunityto voice their opinions…believe it or not, it was rea-sonably diplomatic.”Former Signal Hill Mayor

Keaton King, who alsoserved as a committee mem-ber, said one of the main rea-sons for recommending a newpolice facility was that theold building wasn’t fit to han-dle the police department’snew equipment. He said thenew station is now “firstclass” and capable of operat-ing such up-to-date technol-ogy. Signal Hill Parks & Recre-

ation Commissioner GaryDudley, who served on thecommittee as well, said helooks forward to touring thenew building and that he ispleased the City settled on a“good location” of whichpolice can get in and out. “Itlooks like a beautiful facility,and it’s right on the cuttingedge,” he said. “It’s very effi-cient as far as the environ-ment is concerned and for thesize of our police departmentand any prisoners we mighthave… it’s a very forwardand modern concept.”

New police station involved input from wide variety of Signal Hill community members

Police Station Blue-Ribbon Committee MembersTina Hansen, Signal Hill city councilmember

Craig Barto, president/CEO of Signal Hill PetroleumStefanie Camacho, resident

Tony Dannan, Promontory HOAHoward Davis, president of Universal Care

Gary Dudley, Signal Hill Parks & Recreation commissionerEmerson Fersch, Signal Hill City Treasurer

Dave Frick, Signal Hill planning commissioner and Signal Hill POA boardmemberMiriam Garcia, principal of Burroughs Elementary School

Ed Green, director of Willow Urgent CareStan Henderson, resident and member of USC Department of Public Safety

Charlie Honeycutt, Signal Hill deputy city managerBrian Leyn, detective and Signal Hill POA boardmember

Bob Long, resident and past president of Signal Hill Rotary ClubDennis MacArthur, Signal Hill finance director

Tom Naughton, pastor of Signal Hill Christian CenterSteve Owens, senior detective and POA presidentMike Reid, Signal Hill administrative sergeant

Rose Richard, Signal Hill planning commissioner and past police volunteerNeena Strichart, resident and Signal Tribune publisherBrad Willingham, co-owner of Boulevard Buick GMC

“It was a roundtable of

ideas, and nobody’s ideas were dismissed. They were all

discussed in anopen forum, andeverybody had an

opportunity tovoice their opinions.”

–Blue-RibbonCommittee Member

Rose Richard

SPECIAL SECTION


14 SIGNAL TRIBUNE JANUARY 25, 2013



Sean BelkStaff Writer

After the Signal Hill PoliceDepartment fully transitions to itsnew police station next week, it isplanning to continue actively recruit-ing interested residents for its Com-munity Volunteer Program. Sgt. Brian Leyn, who manages

the program, said the police depart-ment is expected to have a “vigoroushiring process” for volunteers thisyear after the move into the new sta-tion. Currently, the department has15 volunteers but is willing to addmore, he said, adding that the newstation provides volunteers with theirown room, complete with worksta-tions, after previously operating outof a briefing room in the old facility.Leyn said the police department getsanywhere from two to three calls aweek from interested citizens look-ing to apply or help the department. The police volunteer program,

which started 16 years ago, acceptsinterested Signal Hill residents atleast 21 years old. Potential volun-teers are required to make a one-yearcommitment to donate at least 12hours of service a month and attendvolunteer meetings.Police volunteers receive class-

room, field and in-service training,while learning about the police

department’s operations and the jus-tice system. Lately, volunteers have been able

to branch out within different areasof the police department, such thedetective bureau, records and admin-istration, and it now has a bike-patrolprogram, Leyn said. He said the pro-gram has recently become a “mixedgroup” and has received interestfrom residents age 25 to senior citi-zens. Leyn said the program has been

able to save the City money and man-power by taking care of tasks thatpolice officers typically can’t get to,such as parking enforcement, DUIcheckpoints and community events,while riding along during patrols. Community volunteers also pro-

vide assistance to police staff by writ-ing newsletters, planning andmaintaining business and neighbor-hood-watch programs as well ascompiling data for statistical analysis.Volunteers also provide support inbicycle registration, clerical func-tions, fingerprinting services,newsletter creation, drug/gang pre-vention, crime prevention, vehicle-speed watch and vacation watch. “We’ve always tried to involve the

community as much as we can,because any police department willtell you, ‘we can’t do everything our-selves’… it’s always going to have to

be a community involvement,” Leynsaid. “The community is trying to getinvolved, and we offer that resourcefor them to come and help us. It’s

really a two-way street. They help out,and they get to learn a lot about whatwe do and what’s going on in the city.So, it’s a win-win for everybody.”

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With new station, SHPD ready to expand its volunteer program

Courtesy SHPDSignal Hill Police Department’s volunteers during a Volunteer Appreciation Brunch at Acapulco Restaurant in LongBeach on April 22, 2012

Matt Sun/Signal TribuneA bulletin board in the existing Signal Hill police station honoring the depart-ment’s volunteers

Courtesy City of SHSignal Hill Police Department volunteers Jean Chu andMercedes Pacheco in their official uniforms


On behalf of the Signal HillChamber of Commerce...

CongratulationsChief langston,

fellow officersand staff on your

new police station.thank you. we appreciate your support

and doing such a fine job for our city.


Neena Strichart• Publisher— Signal Tribune

Steve Strichart• Associate Publisher— Signal Tribune• Signal Hill Civil Service Commissioner

Marjorie (Posner) Grommé• Treasurer—City of Signal Hill, 1975

Congratulations to Signal Hill’s Police familyfrom the Strichart/Grommé family!

Enjoy your new home!

From our home to yours!

Don’t rob a bank or deal drugs

Don’t drive impaired or hang with thugs

Don’t rob or burgle or beat your wife

Don’t carry a concealed gun or knife

Don’t pilfer goods or tamper with mail

Or you’ll end up in our new jail!

Proud member of the Signal Hill Police Dept.Meritorious Service Committee 2012-2014

& Past President of the Signal HillChamber of Commerce, 2010

Congratulations to Chief langston& the entire sh police department

on the opening of the newsignal hill police station!

“Keeping our City Safe”—Thank you

A tour of the newly built Signal Hill Police StationPhotos by Matt Sun

The lobby of the station

Patrol operations office

Corridor between offices


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Space-saving file storage system that services the records bureau

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18 SIGNAL TRIBUNE JANUARY 25, 2013

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What a difference a new station makesPhotos by Matt Sun

Before– Police chief’s office After– Police chief’s office

Before– Communications Command Center After– Communications Command Center

Before– Police station exterior After– Police station exterior

Before– Records bureau After– Records bureau



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the staff at the signal tribunesalutes theCity of signal hillon their newestaddition: astate-of-the-artpolice stationand Emergencyoperations Center!

we wish ourofficers comfort,safety andgood health!

T R I B U N ESignal By Paul Buckley, P.E.

Simplus Management Corp.

I just want to let readers knowhow supportive the entire City staffhas been on this project. The successof this project required the support ofindividuals from every City depart-ment. However, I would also like toacknowledge just how supportiveand instrumental Charlie Honeycutt,Chief Michael Langston and CaptainRon Mark have been to the success-ful completion of this project. Inorder to explain just how specialthese three individuals are, I have togive you some project background.Simplus Management Corpora-

tion (Simplus) was hired by the Cityof Signal Hill to provide Project andConstruction Management Services for the new Signal Hill Police Stationproject in 2007. Simplus managed the design team through the preparationof construction documents and managed the general contractor through con-struction of the facility. Simplus’s role during the construction phase was tomake sure the new police station was constructed as detailed in the plansand specifications.Every project has its own set of design and construction issues that the

owner and construction management team have to work through. However,this project was very challenging and unique due to the nature and complex-ity of this facility and the fact that the original general contractor defaultedon the contract when the project was approximately 40 percent complete.To give you some perspective, this is only the second time in my career thatthe general contractor has defaulted on one of my projects. The defaultadded an entire set of new legal challenges and issues as well as a bondingcompany, new general contractor and new subcontractors to deal with.I can honestly say that in all my career, I have never had the involvement

and support of the owner at such a high level than on this project. DeputyCity Manager Charlie Honeycutt has been intimately involved in everydesign and construction decision of this project. He attended 99 percent ofall design and construction coordination meetings and completely supportedthe decisions of the construction management team when challenged by thecontractor. Charlie Honeycutt was also extremely fair with the general con-tractor and subcontractors by processing progress payments very quicklyand processing change orders only when they had merit. Charlie wasresponsible for orchestrating and coordinating all critical issues with otherCity departments.Police Chief Michael Langston came on board after the design was com-

plete but completely took ownership of the design and supported the con-struction management team during construction. Besides running the policedepartment, he attended a high percentage of construction coordinationmeetings and provided leadership on critical police department issues. Healso supported the contractors by making sure the site was secure. Duringthis project there were numerous break-ins and thefts, but his officers wereable to catch the thieves and recover stolen property. But the Chief’s biggestshow of support for the project was assigning Captain Ron Mark to theteam. Captain Ron Mark was an invaluable part of the construction man-agement team. He attended 99 percent of all construction coordinationmeetings and provided valuable input on police department policies, proce-dures and operational matters. He was instrumental in making sure the sitewas secured, especially after the original general contractor defaulted. While acknowledging those individuals that were directly involved with

the construction management team in the field, I would be remiss in notacknowledging all the City Council members, the City Manager Ken Farf-sing and City Attorney [David Aleshire], who worked hard behind thescenes to support this complex project and took time out of their busyschedules to visit and tour the site at various stages of construction. Withoutthem, this project would only still be a dream.

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EDCOcongratulatesSHPD ontheir newstation!

Comments from theConstruction Manager


22 SIGNAL TRIBUNE JANUARY 25, 2013THE NEW SIGNAL HILL POLICE STATIONSignal Hill Police Department looks forward to new era for local public safetySean BelkStaff Writer

In many ways, the Signal Hill Police Department’s newstate-of-the-art 21,500-square-foot police station marks a newera for local public safety. As the City continues to grow, so too have the needs of the

police department, which is required to meet new emergency-response standards and upgrade to high-tech communication sys-tems. Signal Hill Police Chief Michael Langston said the added

space for the police department’s more than 50-member staff andmodern building features now boosts the department’s capabili-ties. The new station, he said, will be one of the newest policefacilities in the region and a model for the latest police technol-ogy. “There’s a lot of new technology in the building that will help

us to be more efficient and a little more effective than we aretoday,” Langston said. Some of the building’s new features include: a modernized

jail facility with eight cells, which are controlled by a digital“touch screen” and meet the latest California Department ofCorrections and Rehabilitation standards; ergonomic worksta-tions for police staff to sit or stand during long shifts; video-con-ferencing capabilities for inmates to talk with family membersor attorneys from the lobby; “hard” and “soft” interviewingrooms; collapsible file-storage for the records bureau; a fitnessroom; sleeping quarters; and outlets in each locker for patrol

officers to recharge electronic devices. The new police station also meets today’s “central services”

standards, Langston said, adding that the new facility was builtto withstand major earthquakes, floods, winds or any other nat-ural disasters. In addition, the new building was designed withenvironmentally friendly features, including solar panels on topof the station’s vehicle port, natural lighting throughout thebuilding and drought-tolerant landscaping with a water-treating“bio-swale” system. Langston said nearby jurisdictions looking to upgrade police

facilities, such as the Long Beach Police Department, will benefitfrom seeing the design of such a modern police station. “I thinkwe all benefit from a new building in that I’m sure there will beother departments coming here to look and see what this depart-ment has done,” he said. “I think it’s a state-of-the-art facility andcertainly something for all of us to be proud of.”Langston said one of the goals of building an expanded emer-

gency-operations center (EOC) in the new police facility was to

provide a “focal point” for community gatherings for local organ-izations and emergency-response operations for nearby jurisdic-tions, including the Los Angeles County Fire Department, whichcontracts with Signal Hill. “We have a vision that the new police facility is really going

to serve as a ‘community’ police station and, hopefully, peoplewill feel comfortable coming here,” he said. “We have a goodrelationship with the community, and this facility will help us toimprove that.”Signal Hill Deputy City Manager Charlie Honeycutt added

that keeping the City safe will continue to be a top goal, and thenew facility will only enhance the community’s relationship withthe police department. “What we’ve always seen is the City hasmade the police department a high priority,” he said. “If you talkto residents and businesses, the police department has been heldin high regard in the community… And, 50 years from now, ifthe City has a lot of growth, this building has been designed toexpand.”

Matt Sun/Signal TribuneThe Emergency Operations Center in the new Signal Hill police station

from

Congratulations on your new home,S.H. Police Department!

1640 E. Burnett St.



The City of Signal Hillcongratulates the men and women of

the Signal Hill Police Departmenton the opening of your new police station.

Thank you for your dedicatedservice to the community.�


SHPD Special Section

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