The Laguna Beach, California Police Department has redesigned the style of their police cruisers and how they look. They are black & white cruisers with the word: "POLICE" across the side in a style that shows a nod to the American flag. Some people have taken offense to the cars thinking the colors are aggressive. The Laguna Beach Counsel unanimously agreed back in February to change the colors of the cruisers from all white to black and white because tourists were mistaking them as regular security cars, not official police cars. In addition, some think the "L" in police should be changed to a red color along with the "ICE" in police because some think it's offensive and looks as though the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency is being purposely shown in the word "POLICE" and think that omits fear within the community.
The Mayor Pro Tem of Laguna Beach, Steve Dicterow was one of four counsel members who backed the new police design . He said: “This has made us more unified than anything I’ve ever seen in this town. I like how it looks. I got 600 emails from people in Laguna, the ratio of support was 100-to-one in support of the design. I got emails from across the country. The flag is a symbol, it doesn’t represent a particular president or political belief. It’s a symbol of what we strive for. What better symbol than one that protects our freedom?"
The Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella and her department were asked by the City Counsel which design they preferred and they chose the flag design over the more muted beach design saying it's more recognizable on the streets for kids to spot.
In conclusion, the Laguna Beach Police Department will keep this new design of theirs on their cruisers. Do you find it in any way shape or form abrasive or aggressive?
-Producer Lightning