The annual Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York Memorial Service will be held on Sunday April 11, 2010. This year the service will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
Every year many Auxiliary and Reserve units come from around the United States and even abroad to pay respects to the Auxiliary Police that were killed in the Line of Duty (LOD), killed while coming to the aid of others even when not in uniform and those that died in the last year. Although the Memorial Service is sponsored by the NYC Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association, any Auxiliary or Reserve Officer may be honored.
We will be honoring our own late Lt. Murray Kurzman by having a candle lit in his name.
It is both heart-warming and gratifying to see so many fellow volunteers coming together, looking their finest in full dress uniforms. The many hundreds of participants will march into the Church where the memorial service will be held. The service is always beautiful and the families of the fallen or deceased officers are truly taken by the global support.
It is hard to explain just how important and exciting the Memorial Service is. All Long Beach Auxiliary Police Officers are urged to attend. We will muster at Auxiliary Headquarters and will drive our patrol vehicles into Manhattan. As in the past years, our ride home may be under police escort. Let’s have a very impressive showing of our fine Long Beach Auxiliary Police officers.
The City 
of Long Beach Recreation Department’s Annual Snowflake Run was held on February 14, 2010.
It started and ended at St. Ignatious Catholic School at West Broadway and New York Avenue (unlike in the past at Lindell School which is under renovations).
The Snowflake Run is always a fun winter event in which the community can be more active in an otherwise very quiet and slow season.
LONG BEACH POLAR BEAR CLUB Super Bowl Sunday Splash is an annual event that started in 1998. All proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since its inception, the Long Beach Polar Bears and their many supporters have been able to grant many wishes.
This year the event was held on Super Bowl Sunday February 7, 2010 and officially took place at Riverside Boulevard at 1:00 PM.
To say that the growth and notoriety of the Long Beach Polar Bears has been amazing is definitely understated. In 2001 they were able to raise $12,000 and grant two wishes. This doubled the next year and has continued to grow exponentially since. In 2008, with an incredibly huge turnout, the Long Beach Polar Bears raised $270,000 and granted 35 wishes. In 2009 The Long Beach Polar Bears broke a Guinness World Record. Officials from Guinness were on hand to asses the number of folks that turned out for this important event.
To learn more about the Polar Bears, to register for future Super Bowl Splashes, to buy apparel or to make a direct donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation, visit: http://www.longbeachpolarbears.org/
Not only do many participants show up, but many many onlookers and cheering supporters show up as well. It is amazing to see many thousands of people convening on the beach on a winter morning.
This is always a major event for the Long Beach Auxiliary Police. Given the many thousands of people that show up, we are counted upon to provide necessary traffic and pedestrian control and well as directing vehicle parking. This is an ALL HANDS event. Given the relatively slow season for special event training, uniformed and especially probationary officers are always urged to get and maintain necessary training by participating in the somewhat rare winter season events.
There were many pedestrians and vehicles on the road. Traffic jammed quickly as thousands of participants and supporters headed to Broadway and Riverside Boulevard. After the event, the traffic conditions continued, but in reverse. Fortunately all who came went home safely.
The “March for a King” started at 11:30AM at Laurelton Boulevard and Park Avenue and headed East on Park Avenue to Riverside Boulevard and then North to the MLK Center on Riverside Boulevard where a celebration honoring Dr. King followed.
Due to traffic control needs, the Auxiliary Police are asked to assist with this event. The LBAPD provides both traffic and pedestrian control to assure that the March will be safely conducted.
A Long Beach tradition, the Turkey Trot is the last run of the fall season. Starting out on the the boardwalk, the Turkey Trot is actually two races in one. The first race is a one mile shortened version for kids. It is followed by the 10k run for adults. Winners went home with Thanksgiving turkeys!
The race tends to spread out quite a bit and we rely on a lot of resources to handle the posts. In total, almost fifty intersections will be crossed by the runners. This include crossing Park Avenue, Beech Street and Broadway twice. The bicycle patrol waslactive in this event.
This year’s Halloween fell out on a Saturday, and was undoubtedly a much busier than usual night in the City given the mild weather, Daylight Savings Time still in effect and no school the following day.
On one hand, this meant that more young kids than usual were walking around even later and crossing the streets in the dark. On the other hand, this can often mean more pranks and unfortunate misdeeds.
The Auxiliary Police had a special patrol with all of our vehicles on the road serving as the Eyes and Ears to the Long Beach Police Department and our community-at-large. We have learned that with a greater police presence that our children will be safer and property will be better protected.
At 11:00 AM on Sunday October 25, 2009, St. Mary of the Isle Church held its annual “Procession of our Lord of the Miracles” procession.
This is a major church event with a lot of participants. As the procession goes around the church various streets need to be closed. Heavy pedestrian traffic needs to be protected.
Since this is a large procession that stretches across several blocks at a time, multiple intersections required simultaneous coverage. It is always important that we have a strong showing of officers.
After monsoon like weather the day before, this event was held on an especially sunny and nice day for late October. In coordination with an LBPD motorcycle unit, all five of the Auxiliary Police vehicles were used- along with extra personnel to cover the traffic control needs.
The Fall Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12 from 10AM to 4PM at Kennedy Plaza on Park Avenue and National Boulevard.
It will be featuring entertainment, food, rides, craft vendors, a pumpkin patch and so much more. There will be fun and interests for the entire family.
In addition to the pumpkin patch, the kids can enjoy their own costume parade, puppet shows, crafts, and a real carousel. Hay wagon and fire engine rides will also be provided.
Adults will enjoy eating Autumn treats. There will be a live musical acts.
Long Beach Auxiliary Police had an extremely successful booth offering hot dogs, beverages AND LIMITED EDITION SUPPORTER TEE-SHIRTS! It was operated through the volunteer efforts of members of the unit, family and friends. The booth serves as an important fundraiser for the Auxiliary Police and provides yet another great opportunity to interact with each other and the community while promoting awareness of the department’s functions.
The annual Ancient Order of Hibernians Irish Day and Parade will begin at Washington Boulevard at 12:00 noon and will proceed all the way down to the West End where the street fair will be held. There will be fun for the entire family with rides and delicious food. There are many tables selling handmade, eclectic, Irish and one-of-a-kind wares. Beech Street in the trendy West End- from New York Boulevard to Connecticut Boulevard will be closed for the huge and successful festival.
Despite initial weather forecasts for rain and storms the day started out rather warm and dry. The parade was impressive as always. The festival was very well attended. Later in the afternoon the sky opened up to 10 minutes of heavy rain but subsided after that. Visitors were not deterred! The Long Beach Auxiliary Bicycle Patrol became part of the parade and received notable attention. Close down was busy and brisk but finished without a hitch. Thanks to the officers who came out to aid in traffic and pedestrian control, to family and friends who operated the Auxiliary booth where Supporter Tee Shirts were sold and to all of the supporters who bought shirts and gave donations.
The City of Long Beach Police Department enforces a Zero Tolerance Alcohol Policy on Irish Day.
The annual Labor Day race began at 8:30 am at Riverside Boulevard on the Boardwalk. It ran West on the Boardwalk to New York Avenue, East on Broadway to Pacific, West on Shore Road (against normal traffic flow) to Neptune and then back on the Boardwalk with the finish line back where it all started! All registered runners received free admission to the beach and a commemorative t-shirt. Awards were presented in several categories.
A race in a small geographical area such as Long Beach means that many intersections will be crossed by the runners- sometimes involving easily more than sixty times- including major thoroughfares such as Park Avenue, Beech Street and Broadway. The Labor Day race is one of our “all hands needed” events. The LBAPD Bicycle Patrol plays an important role both leading the runners and sprinting around the City to locate the various tail runners that break away from the pack.