Three Manhattan Beach City Council candidates support some form of automated speed enforcement on Sepulveda Boulevard, while a fourth wants more police officers and better lighting instead.
The split emerged Monday, Sept. 28, when Manhattan Beach News published written statements from all four candidates running for two open council seats in the Nov. 3 election: Amy Howorth, Mark Burton, Richard Montgomery and Joseph Ungoco.
Sepulveda has seen six traffic deaths in four separate crashes over the past five years, according to the candidates' statements. Those include the January 2025 killing of Mira Costa High School senior Ford Savela, 18, by a speeding driver and the May 2025 death of Braun Levi, killed by a suspected speeding DUI driver two blocks away.
Howorth and Burton back speed cameras
Howorth, who served on the council when it approved the city's license plate reader program in 2016, said she supports joining the state speed camera pilot or pursuing a local alternative. The state program, authorized under AB 645, allows cameras that photograph cars going 11 mph or more over the limit and issue civil fines by mail. Seven California cities are authorized under the pilot; Los Angeles approved 125 cameras, and Malibu was added by later legislation.
"Speed cameras aren't a substitute for better street design, but they save lives," Howorth wrote.
She added that she recently attended the Cal Cities Conference and learned about companies using AI for traffic safety, suggesting the city might not need to wait for the state pilot.
Burton, a former Manhattan Beach mayor who said he sponsored the city's security camera program during his first council term, said it would be "foolish" and "reckless from a risk management perspective" not to join the pilot, given the fatalities on the boulevard.
Montgomery opposes cameras
Montgomery, a former four-term councilmember and former reserve police officer with the Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD), opposed speed cameras. He argued they would not deter drunk drivers or those traveling at extreme speeds.
He proposed two alternatives: a dedicated "set enforcement team" of motor officers patrolling Sepulveda late at night and early mornings, plus bright LED lighting over every dip in the road surface between the 100 block and Marine Avenue. He also called for a flashing LED warning sign at Marine Avenue.
Montgomery listed the four fatal crashes on Sepulveda since 2021, including a Nov. 23, 2021, four-vehicle collision that killed three people.
Ungoco open to new tools
Ungoco, a Manhattan Beach planning commissioner, did not explicitly endorse or oppose speed cameras. He wrote that the city should "remain open to new ways" to support police in protecting residents, and cited his own willingness to trade some privacy for safety.
All four back license plate readers
On the city's existing automated license plate reader (ALPR) program, all four candidates expressed support. Manhattan Beach uses a Vigilant Solutions system, not the Flock system used by Los Angeles, with plate data deleted after one year under MBPD Policy 462.
Howorth said the cameras led to nearly 100 felony arrests in the program's first two years, mostly involving stolen cars and people with warrants. Montgomery cited the 2023 arrests of seven people connected to two Pasha Jewelry "smash and grab" robberies, crediting ALPR data and MBPD detective work.
Between 41,000 and 56,000 cars travel Sepulveda through Manhattan Beach each day, according to a March 2026 city staff report. The speed limit is 35 mph, a figure Caltrans reaffirmed after a 2023 study.
Three candidate forums are scheduled before the election: the Senior Advisory Committee forum on Oct. 15 at Joslyn Community Center, the Downtown Business and Professional Association forum on Oct. 18 at Culture Brewing and the Rotary Club forum on Oct. 19 at The Westdrift Hotel.
