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As a young LBPD officer, Steve James didn't flinch in high risk situations. An audio tape we've heard documented his role in an extremely dangerous high speed pursuit in which he displayed incredible presence of mind under heart-stopping pressure.

In February 2002, LBPOA President Steve James broke a LB taboo, publicly telling the LB City Council [under Mayor Beverly O'Neill] that it should provide taxpayers with at least 2.0 sworn officers per thousand residents and start working toward 2.5 officers per thousand residents. LBREPORT.com reported at the time:

Mr. James' testimony politely but firmly challenges city management and the Council, which have historically resisted providing this per capita level, or any specific minimum police level. He spoke in response to an agendized report submitted by LBPD Chief Jerome Lance that essentially confirmed warnings (reported by LBReport.com) from retired Public Safety Advisory Commissioner John Deats, who (as first reported by LBReport.com) had charged months earlier that LBPD had fewer sworn officers than were publicly budgeted.

LBPOA President James told the Council:

..."I think that we should establish a minimum staffing level. I think that it's time to quit playing around with the numbers. We've heard about reports from five years ago, ten years ago, I think 2.0 [officers] per thousand should be, and I think in this city, and I do respect what Councilmember Shultz said that everywhere is different -- in this city, 2.0 per thousand is certainly not a stretch. And I think that if we establish that as a bare minimum, maybe start to work towards the numbers Chief Lance quoted in his report of 2.5 per thousand, that would get us to 1,152 police officers. We're currently at 850...

"We definitely need more police. There's no doubt about it. There's no doubt we've proven it. Y2K was the best example. The more police you have on the streets, the lower the crime rate is. It's simple. So if you want the crime rate to go down, put more police on the streets."

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In 2006, the LBPOA PAC endorsed candidate Bob Foster for Mayor (who'd publicly pledged to put 100 more officers on the street during his first four years in office.) Once in office, Mayor Foster was on his way to doing what he promised, but simultaneously urged Council approval of a 2007 voluntary LBPOA contract re-opener that included raises, ostensibly to prevent exits by senior experienced officers. However the LBPOA re-opener (and new contracts with the LB Firefighters Ass'n and IAM non-public safety workers) didn't include pension reforms (that Foster would later advocate)...and when the economy began to slow in fall 2008, the three agreements became fiscally unsustainable.

Mayor Foster cited the "great recession" as the reason for backing away from his 2006 election pledge, and with support from 1st dist. Councilman Robert Garcia, implemented "proportional budget reductions" that resulted in the largest reduction in police officers for taxpayers in the more than 100 history of the City of Long Beach. 208 citywide deployable officers disappeared from Mayor-recommended, Council-approved budgets (not even sparing LBPD's 22-member field anti-gang unit.) [Other cities weathered "the great recession" without erasing roughly 20% of their police officers.]

We're umaware of LBPOA President James publicly objecting to the taxpayer/neighborhood impacting reductions in City Council testimony or published writings. (We note that he did testify at a January 31, 2012 low visibility "Public Safety Committee" hearing to urge a commitment to fund a replenishment police academy class (that would halt further reductions, although by this time most of the damage had been done, and James didn't testify on the subject at the full Council meeting on the topic two weeks later.)

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Meanwhile, during LB election cycles, LBPOA's PAC supported the re-election of Council incumbents who'd voted to erase the officers that LB taxpayers previously had.

In each election cycle, LBREPORT.com routinely asked LBPOA President James to release a copy of its video-recorded interviews with election candidates (to see what questions LBPOA asked and what the candidates told them to get their endorsements.) Each time, LBPOA President James politely refused to release the recordings...and added he'd never release the recordings even if the candidates approved their release.

In 2012, LBPOA's PAC endorsed the re-election of term-limited Councilman Patrick O'Donnell over challenger Daryl Supernaw, although it was apparent that O'Donnell would likely seek an Assembly seat midway through his Council term.

June, 2012: LBPOA President James congratulates incumbent O'Donnell on finishing ahead of challenger Supernaw

As predicted, two years later in 2014 O'Donnell sought the vacated Assembly seat, creating a Council vacancy that candidate Supernaw sought and won.)

In the 2014 city election cycle, the LBPOA PAC endorsed Robert Garcia for Mayor, and in April 2016 endorsed the term-limited write-in re-election of Dee Andrews, the only two incumbents remaining on the Council who'd voted to erase the 200+ officers.

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In the June 2016 election cycle, the LBPOA PAC was the largest monetary contributor -- over $200,000 -- to the political committee operated by Mayor Garcia that campaigned for the City Hall-sought Measure A ("blank check") sales tax increase. The measure passed, and although City Hall allocated Measure A's new revenue mainly for infrastructure repairs and fire and police restorations, the General Fund revenue infusion had the effect of freeing-up other available General Fund money.

Roughly six months later on December 24, 2016 (Christmas Eve), LBPOA President James revealed on his Facebook page that he and LBPOA negotiators had reached a tentative agreement (subject to rank and file approval) on a new contract with the City of LB. In January 2017, LB taxpayers learned how much the three-year contract would cost: a $6.2 million net fiscal impact to the General Fund in FY 17, with $14.3 million to the General Fund at the end of the three-year agreement.

The "Fiscal Impact" section of city management's agendizing memo said there'd be "no impact" in the FY17 budget year...and left the new contract's costs to the "annual budget processes" for FY18 (and now FY19).

On September 21, 2017, LBPOA held a retirement party for Lt. James. The LBPOA newsletter described it (at at this link) in salient part as follows:

On September 21, 2017, outgoing POA President Steve James had his retirement party held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Nearly 500 guests filled the beautifully decorated Arena Pacific Ballroom where they enjoyed food, drinks, conversation, and music. As guests arrived, they were encouraged to sign a matted caricature of Steve and his family. Additionally, they were given the opportunity to inspect his beautifully decorated shadow box...

...Numerous high-level dignitaries followed with speeches and presentations, including:

Pat West – Long Beach City Manager
Janice Hahn – County of Los Angeles Supervisor
Larry Wallace – Representing United States Senator Kamala Harris
Alan Lowenthal – United States Congress 47th District
Anthony Rendon – California State Assembly 63rd District
Wayne Quint – Representing California Attorney General Xavier Bacerra
Jackie Lacey – District Attorney of Los Angeles
Robert Garcia – Mayor of Long Beach
Bob Foster – Former Mayor of Long Beach
Charlie Parkin – City Attorney of Long Beach
Doug Haubert – City Prosecutor of Long Beach
Randy Gordon – Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Mike Duree and Rex Pritchard – Long Beach Fire Department
Robert Luna – Chief of Police, Long Beach Police Department

...Steve closed the night by choking back tears and thanking everyone for the night and for their efforts over the years. He spent several moments thanking his beautiful wife Amy for her love and support. The night was a very fitting and classy tribute to a man who has given so much of his time and effort to our association, Department, and City.

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