At Town Hall Meeting, LBPD West Div'n Commander Josef Levy Announces Measures In Response To Recent Shootings/Gang Activity In Washington Middle School Area

(Jan. 27, 2012) -- At a public meeting last night (Jan. 26), LBPD West Division Commander Josef Levy announced a series of measures that will be implemented -- including some that have already begun -- in response to recent shootings and gang activity in the Washington Middle School area (14th St./Cedar Ave. and surrounding area).

"There are way too many good people in this neighborhood to allow a very very small group of individuals to terrorize." Commander Levy said, drawing applause. He said officers have been walking the area, street by street, compiling a spread sheet of problem locations and calls for service...and said that within the coming weeks, those involved in gang activity would be "relocated" [arrested] if they were found to be in violation of parole or probation.

Commander Levy spoke at a "Town Hall" style meeting called by LBPD's West Division in cooperation with Councilmember Garcia's Office and stakeholders from the Washington Middle School area in response to recent shootings in the area. The event drew roughly fifty people to the Long Beach Rescue Mission at 1335 Pacific Ave...just steps from where a man was shot to death on Jan. 11th (200 block of W. 14th St. at Pacific Ave.).

LBReport.com has extended VIDEO of salient parts of the meeting. To launch video, click here.

Councilman Robert Garcia made remarks in opening the meeting. "If you look at generally the Washington neighborhood, the last ten years have been really transformational for the community," he said, citing Seaside Park, Better Balance's work on the 14th St. park as well as the opening of a skate park and new basketball courts, the Mayor's Habitat for Humanity home, sidewalk and street improvements. Councilman Garcia said Commander Levy had told him that seven, eight or nine years ago there were shootings in the area at least weekly. "We're in a situation [now] where we have a neighborhood in transition; there's still a lot of challenges; there's still a lot of opportunity for improvement," Councilman Garcia said.

Commander Levy told the audience that his West Division officers have begun walking "every single street in this area" and have identified on a spread sheet "all of the problem locations, all locations where police responding to calls for service, where augmenters live and hang out. He said officers are "making a list and they're checking it twice."

Commander Levy said LBPD will be working very closely with Councilman Garcia, schools, parks, [neighborhood and business] association groups and city entities to take a strong approach to nuisance abatement

He said that over the next several weeks, "you're going to start to see people involved in gang activity disappear or as I like to say, they will be 'relocated'...If they're in violation of their parole or probation, they're going to go to jail. If they're involved in gang activity in violation of the [anti-gang] injunction, they're going to go to jail. There are way too many good people in this neighborhood to allow a very very small group of individuals to terrorize. [applause]"

Commander Levy asked residents to give him three months to see changes, and added, "We're in it for the long haul."

On LBReport.com map (right) as of Jan. 26, 2012. Arrow indicates Washington Middle School area; Red Xs=murders since Jan. 1, 2011; Blue Xs=Shootings since Aug. 2, 2011; Purple Xs=shooting since Aug. 2 (person missed); Green Xs=shooting since Aug. 2 at an occupied building; Brown Xs=2010 murders. [Map shows portion of shootings/murders citywide]

Since 2009 [Councilman Garcia took office May 2009], he has voted with Council majorities to cut over 140 budgeted police officers to help balance City Hall budgets (Sept. 2009 and Sept. 2010 budget votes re police cuts without Council dissent; Sept. 2011 budget vote with Schipske, Gabelich, Neal dissenting).

Following the Council's Sept. 2010 budget vote, Mayor Foster chose Councilman Garcia to chair the City Council's Public Safety Committee.

For the past three years, LB City Hall hasn't conducted replenishment Police Academy classes (to replace normally retiring/exiting officers). The result has left Long Beach (L.A. County's second largest city) with a per capita police level roughly equivalent to cutting L.A.P.D.'s level by over 25% of its current officers. Long Beach currently provides its taxpayers with roughly 1.7 budget police for citywide deployment (excludes officers funded by Port/Airport/LBCC/LBUSD for contracted services at their locations) while L.A. delivers roughly 2.3-2.4 budgeted officers per thousand and Signal Hill provides roughly 3.0.

In September 2011, Councilman Garcia (and a Council majority) voted to oppose an alternative budget proposal offered by Councilmembers Schipske, Gabelich and Neal (likewise opposed by Mayor Foster) to use accrued oil revenue to avoid some of the Mayor/Management proposed cuts to police, fire and library services.

A month later in October 2011, the same Council majority voted to use the oil revenue for budget items including more frequent tree trimming, $1 million for a tunnel connecting LB's jail to a new courthouse in the 1st district ($5+ million estimated tunnel cost first revealed publicly by city management after finalizing the courthouse transaction) plus an upgrade (explicitly sought by Councilman Garcia) to City Hall's website. Also among the oil revenue funded items was a six figure sum to deploy a shot spotter gunfire location system, not yet deployed as LBPD management says it's comparing various competing systems.