The homicide rate in Long Beach rose last year, with 38 murders in 2024 compared to 26 in 2023, according to police data.
Last year’s tally is the highest since 2021 when the city had 39 murders, but it was only slightly above average for the past five years (35). The 26 homicides in 2023 was the lowest total since the city recorded 22 in 2017, the smallest annual number on record.
The increase this year was especially pronounced in the LBPD’s East Division — which spans from Alamitos Beach to Los Alamitos, with its northern reaches bordering Bellflower — and the North Division, which consists primarily of North Long Beach.
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In the East Division, killings spiked from 2 in 2023 to 11 in 2024 — its highest total over the last decade. Two of the highest profile murders in that district happened within two weeks of each other last March on Second Street — a popular nightlife destination in Belmont Shore…