After nearly 50 years, Laguna Beach police returning to black-and-white rides

LAGUNA BEACH — Police cars in this seaside resort will soon return to a pre-1970s look, with traditional black-and-white markings.

The City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 19, unanimously approved the change that is set to take place within the next month. Cars will be black on the front and rear and white on the doors and roof. Door logos will have a bolder and larger design.

Laguna Beach is the last city in Orange County still using all-white vehicles. In January, the Irvine Police Department switched to black-and-whites.

“Having 6.5 million worldwide visitors, we want to be visible,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella told the City Council on Tuesday. “We want to stand out. We want to be recognizable when they flag us over. It would give us a more forward-facing visibility in our community.”

The department has 11 vehicles — 10 Ford Explorers and a Chevrolet Tahoe used by the watch commander. The transition to black-and-white comes as the department is preparing to replace six of its vehicles.

Laguna Beach Police went from black-and-white to all-white in 1970. At the time, city officials determined it was best to make the city’s entire fleet the same, distinguished by different types of blue striping.

Since then, police officials have found that the all-white color scheme does not distinguish law enforcement vehicles from other city vehicles, including the police department’s own animal control, parking and beach patrol vehicles.

The current design is also confusing to the community, they said, because the vehicles appear to be similar to the design and colors used by private security firms. Private firms are prohibited from using the traditional black-and-white of law enforcement.

In some cases, private guards have been misidentified as police officers, said Capt. Jeff Calvert, and private units have been waved down by a person needing assistance.

“There have been complaints about our officers where it turned out to be complaints about private security guards,” said Calvert, who heads up the department’s field units.

Calvert said the switch to black-and-whites also helps in instances of mutual aid.

“When units come into our community, they’re black and white,” he said. “When we respond to other cities, we’re not clearly identified as police cars. As law enforcement, we want a unified front. Having the same color scheme as the rest of the county shows we’re in lockstep with our mission.”