The Long Beach City Council this week will consider ways to increase public safety measures in Belmont Shore after a fatal shooting last month.
Potential options include a temporary midnight curfew on bars and alcohol-serving establishments, and increasing police presence in the area, among other measures.
Belmont Shore is one of Long Beach’s most popular destinations, where residents, students and visitors come together to shop, dine and enjoy the coastal atmosphere. It is a commercial corridor that greatly contributes to the local economy and city identity; however, recently that has changed, city officials say.
The nightlife and entertainment center has brought unwanted visitor behavior, ranging from public drinking and littering to fighting, officials said – and in the worst instances – violent altercations resulting in the deaths of Long Beach residents.
Last month, for example, an altercation erupted at a local bar and continued outside in the 100 block of La Verne Avenue, which ended in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jeremy Anthony Spears.
The shooting “has once again drawn attention to the late-night environment in Belmont Shore,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement, while citing safety concerns tied to some establishments.
In 2024, there were two homicides along Second Street.
Second Street in Belmont Shore on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Second Street in Belmont Shore on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Second Street in Belmont Shore on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 3
Second Street in Belmont Shore on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The City Council will discuss a late-night public safety plan for Belmont Shore during its Tuesday, Nov. 11, meeting. The item was brought forth by Councilmember Kristina Duggan, who represents the area, asking the City Manager and staffers to return within 45 days with a plan for the commercial corridor.
Hundreds of residents have contacted the Third District office, Duggan said, with detailed accounts of late-night disturbances, public intoxication and unsafe conditions.
The proposed plan, according to the staff report, includes exploring options for a temporary one-year moratorium on the operation of bars and alcohol-serving establishments in Belmont Shore after midnight. It also suggests looking at the feasibility and cost associated with reestablishing Long Beach Police Department walking beats during high-traffic hours and reactivating the police sub-station in the area.
As part of the LBPD East Division – which covers nearly half the city – current police staffing levels are not sufficient to manage a changing and increasingly regional bar scene operating until 2 a.m., according to the staff report.
Long Beach has worked to improve safety in the area following several incidents connected to the bar scene over the last few years, officials said. The city and police department have added patrols, including bike patrols when possible, and have met with bar owners to review their operations and discuss ways to strengthen safety practices.
The Belmont Shore Parking Commission also hired additional security to help address issues late at night, according to the staff report.
While these steps have helped, officials said, most of the recent violent incidents have occurred after midnight, corresponding to late-night bar activity when only about four of the 250 businesses in the area remain open.
To address this, Duggan has suggested a temporary midnight curfew to provide time to reassess security, enforcement and other patterns to develop long-term strategies for a safer nightlife environment that reflects the available resources.
The city may also look into implementing additional DUI enforcement in Belmont Shore at regular intervals aligned with bar closing times to deter impaired driving, and enhancing targeted late-night enforcement of nuisance issues, including public drinking and unauthorized vendor operations.
“Belmont Shore is a special place where people enjoy coffee or breakfast in the morning, take lunch meetings, buy gifts and other retail items, bring their dog for a walk, have dinner or enjoy a drink, or watch a game with friends,” Duggan wrote in the staff report. “When one part of that experience begins to detract from every other part, the city has a responsibility to protect the overall health of the corridor and the neighborhood it serves.”