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Mayor Garcia Balks At Restoring 180+ Police Officers He Voted (As A Councilman) To Erase, Defends His And Council's Current Rate Of Restorations


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(Aug. 31, 2018. 4:55 p.m.) -- When asked at the August 29 session of Beer and Politics how he was going to increase [restore] police officers in the long term, Mayor Robert Garcia balked at supporting restoration of the 180+ citywide deployable police officers he'd voted to erase (while a Councilmember, stating in 2009) and defended the current pace at which he as Mayor has recommended and the Council has voted to restore officers to date. (17 citywide deployable officers restored thus far out of 208 erased, plus 5 citywide deployable slated for restoration in FY19 if the Council votes on Sept. 4 to approve the Mayor's budget recommendation.)

[Scroll down for further.]




To hear Mayor Garcia's Aug. 29 Beer and Politics response to the question submitted by NLB community advocate Laurie Angel (on a card, read by Beer & Politics organizer Michael Clements) click here.

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Mayor Garcia (1st dist. Councilman May 2009-July 2014) and Vice Mayor Dee Andrews (6th dist. Councilman since 2008) are now the only two remaining incumbents whose record includes votes that erased the largest number of budgeted citywide deployable police officers for LB taxpayers in the more than 100 year history of the City of Long Beach.

Commenting on the Mayor's response in the wake of the Aug. 30 shooting, Ms. Angel tells LBREPORT.com:

Ms. Angel: Police may be adequate in some areas of the city, but in North it is not. We have learned that when we call, unless someone is dying or there is an active event there may not be an officer available. We have had instances where no one came until hours after a home burglary was called in and it had been in progress.

At our neighborhood association meetings, police and knowing activity in our neighborhood is one of the most important topics.

The Mayor told us last night that the nature of policing is changing and will change in the future as if the number of officers was irrelevant. I do understand what he means. IF we educate people, IF we get better services to families, IF our libraries are open, IF families learn better parenting skills, IF parents are home to care for their children because they don't have to work 2 or 3 jobs to survive, IF adequate mental health services AND facilities are available to care for people (knowing that 70& to 80% of homeless have some life compromising mental illness or addictions) IF services are available to help them, if they can be helped, IF, IF, IF...we may not need as many police in the future.

But we are not there. The breadth and depth of resources and services simply does not exist to offset the need for police.


Jan 1, 2018 to date: Red Xs=homicides; Blue Xs= shootings, person wounded; Brown Xs=shots fired at victim(s), not hit; Purple Xs=shots at occupied residence/vehicle; Green Xs= shots at unoccupied vehicle/residence; Grey Xs=shots fired (no hit, no target identified); Orange X's=non-fatal stabbings. Map is unofficial. A separate map (not shown here) shows shootings in Central LB

For context, LBREPORT.com provides a map below showing cumulated shootings in the area Jan. 1, 2014-Dec. 31, 2017:



Jan 1, 2018 to date: Red Xs=homicides; Blue Xs= shootings, person wounded; Brown Xs=shots fired at victim(s), not hit; Purple Xs=shots at occupied residence/vehicle; Green Xs= shots at unoccupied vehicle/residence; Grey Xs=shots fired (no hit, no target identified); Orange X's=non-fatal stabbings. Map is unofficial. A separate map (not shown here) shows shootings in NLB

For context, LBREPORT.com provides a map below showing cumulated shootings in the area Jan. 1, 2014-Dec. 31, 2017:


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On Tuesday Sept. 4 (and possibly Sept. 11), the City Council will consider and vote on a FY19 budget proposed by management with the Mayor's recommendations. For detailed coverage of the number of budgeted officers proposed by management and the Mayor for taxpayers in FY19 for routine citywide/neighborhood deployment, click here. A Councilmember(s) can make motions to amend the management/Mayor budget recommendations.

Developing.

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