LBPD's West Division says that the new scheduled start time is 6:00 p.m. (refreshments begin at 5:45 p.m.) and the meeting will take place at the Rescue Mission Offices located at 1335 Pacific Ave.

On LBReport.com map (right), 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]

[Jan. 26 update] The announcement came the same day as a midmorning shooting (Jan. 23) in the 1500 block of Linden Ave. (separate coverage on LBReport.com, click here).

The Washington Middle School area is about half a block north of 14th St. Park and within a couple of blocks of the "Mayor's Build" Habitat for Humanity house (now occupied by a family to whom Mayor Bob Foster recently presented the keys, after helping assemble contributions).

Councilman Garcia was elected in 2009 (with less than a majority vote in a winner-take-all special election) on a self-stated platform in which said safe streets would be one of his priorities. Since taking office, Councilman Garcia voted to cut over 140 budgeted police officers to help balance City Hall budgets in which city management said spending exceeded anticipated revenue (Sept. 2009 and Sept. 2010 budget votes re police cuts without Council dissent; Sept. 2011 budget vote with Schipske, Gabelich, Neal dissenting).

Following the 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 has conducted no 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 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, Councilman Garcia 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, specifically 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; as previously reported by LBReport.com, the system's is not yet deployed as LBPD management says it's comparing various competing systems.