A Harmless Crime Leaves Long Beach Police Scratching Their Heads

Police in Long Beach, California, are investigating a theft but this is one of those “no harm, no foul” crimes that I hope the culprit gets away with.

A flag outside of police headquarters was stolen and replaced with a banner supporting President Trump. Then, to make sure the flag continue to proudly wave, who ever did it placed a padlock on the flagpole to prevent the banner from being removed.

Allegedy, the unidentified suspect gained access to a secured construction area of the Long Beach Police Department, took the city flag down, and replaced it with an “unauthorized political flag.”

Assistant Chief of Police made a statement on Twitter, “LBPD is currently working on identifying the individual/s responsible for this incident. We are reviewing all available information and evidence and will update this message as facts become available.”

The police department released a video that shows a person crossing the street before entering the construction area and switching out the city flag with one that states the president’s famous campaign slogan: “Make America Great Again.”

Garcia gives a majority of the City budget to LBPD. They decided to remind folks who runs the City by flying a Trump flag at their downtown station this weekend https://t.co/7jb3osh1Kg pic.twitter.com/ESRyDnD0zq

— DSA Long Beach🌹🏝 (@DSALongBeach) October 4, 2020

According to police the flagpole was only approachable from a “small, secured parking lot” and only construction workers are permited to enter the area due to the ongoing work being done at the police headquarters parking area.

Police say there is no evidence leading to the subject being an LBPD employee and are working along with the construction company to locate any possible witnesses.

🚨A message from the Long Beach Police Department: pic.twitter.com/8w7kOpY8J7

— Long Beach PD (CA) (@LBPD) October 4, 2020

The police department wrote in a statement, “LBPD is an apolitical organization that does not participate in any political activity that promotes one political party over another. Flags or images depicting political activity are not authorized or endorsed by the LBPD.”

Employees with the department would later have to use bolt cutters in order to remove the banner.