The Long Beach Police Department is encouraging residents to submit video or photo evidence of “criminal activity” during recent protests against police brutality using a new online portal.
“We will not ignore the actions of criminal opportunists that have incited violence and caused damage in our community,” Chief Robert Luna said in a news release Thursday.
Though many demonstrations across the Southland protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis have been peaceful, some areas like Long Beach, Santa Monica and the Fairfax district of Los Angeles saw looting and vandalism.
On Sunday, multiple fires were reported in Long Beach and looters appeared to target retailers at the Pike Outlets in the downtown area.
The outbursts led to a citywide curfew and National Guard troops descending on the city.
The creation of the police department’s portal comes as the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI announced this week that they too are seeking footage that could lead to future arrests.
Long Beach’s portal allows “the public to easily submit photos and videos straight from their mobile device,” police explained.
Users have to enter their phone number to submit their entry “to preserve the integrity of the evidence submitted,” though they will not be required to submit their name or birthdate.
Police are looking for evidence containing visuals of faces, identifiable clothing or accessories, vehicle license plates or vehicle descriptions, identifiable locations and approximate time of incidents.
Access to the portal can be found here.
Upon entering a phone number, a private text with an upload link will be sent to the user, who can then upload footage.
Additional information like a description of the submitted evidence can then be added.
Evidence will be reviewed and potentially assigned for further investigation, police said.
