LBPD Mgm't Says It Will Seek Add'l Officers & City Mgm't Says It's Developing Budget With 8-10 Newly Budgeted Sworn Officer Positions If Voters Pass "Measure A" Sales Tax Increase

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(June 3, 2016) -- LBPD has told LBREPORT.com (via LBPD Public Information Officer Marlene Arrona) that it will request additional sworn personnel if funding becomes available [with passage of City Hall's Measure A sales tax increase].

And in response to our request for specifics, City of Long Beach Public Information Officer in the City Manager's office, Kerry Gerot, tells LBREPORT.com that at this point, the figure is 8-10 newly budgeted sworn positions in the budget currently being developed, and more specifics would be in the City Manager's proposed FY17 Budget. "It depends on funding (i.e. Measure A) and City Council decisions," Ms. Gerot said in an email.

By way of context, since September 2009 (FY10), City Council budget votes (applying what Mayor Foster called "proportional reductions" that the current Council has perpetuated under Mayor Garcia) have left LB taxpayers with roughly 20% fewer officers (about 200 fewer officers) than Long Beach had in 2008, including the budgeted elimination of LBPD's field anti-gang unit (20 officers + 2 sergeants.)

A City Council majority (subject to a Mayoral veto that six Councilmembers can override) has the last word on all budgeted spending including on how many police officers to provide for taxpayers.

In recent years, LBPD eliminated its separate South Division (saving the cost of a separate South Division Commander and separate administrative staff) by rolling South Division's existing officers into West Division (basically no net change in officers.) During the campaign for Measure A, Mayor Robert Garcia has indicated that he favors restoring South Division but (to our knowledge) left somewhat unclear whether he would recommend adding (restoring) some number of officers and if so how many...so LBREPORT.com asked management about its recommended budgeted numbers and obtained the responses above.

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Measure A's text doesn't mention or legally guarantee the sales tax increase will be spent on any specific items, including police, fire or infrastructure, leaving the Council free to spend the tax revenue on any general fund items it wishes during City Hall's annual budget process.

The largest single campaign contributor to date the pro-Measure A campaign has been the Long Beach Police Officers Association PAC, which (with other city employee unions) is preparing to negotiate a new contract with the City of Long Beach after the June 2016 election. From 2009 to the present, the LBPOA didn't testify against Mayor-recommended, Council-approved budgets that resulted in the largest reductions in LB citywide deployable police officers for taxpayers within a five year period in the more than 100 year history of the City of Long Beach.

In addition to the 8-10 officers that city management indicates are part of a recommended budget now being developed if Measure A passes, in May city management released a map showing infrastructure items it would recommend for Council approval and LB's Fire Chief has indicated he'll recommend restoring Fire Engine 8 to Belmont Shore's Fire Station 8.

Neither LB's Police or Fire Chiefs, nor LB's City Manager, nor LB's Mayor can restore any items...but can make recommendations for budgeted Council approval. In July, the City Manager presents a recommended budget to the Mayor; by August 1, the Mayor adds his recommendatons and forwards the Manager's proposed budget to the Council; by mid-September a Council majority decides budgeted spending for the coming year, including items like how many police officers to provide for taxpayers. The Council's budget decisions are subject to a Mayoral veto that six Councilmembers can override.

Under Mayors Foster and Garcia, Councilmembers have mainly accepted Mayor/management proposed budgets with a few tweaks but in previous years, the Council more openly debated budget items including how many officers to provide for taxpayers. The last time that happened was in Sept. 2011 (entering FY12) under-former Mayor Foster when now-former Councilmembers Gabelich, Schipske and Neal proposed an alternative budget that would have averted a number of police, fire, parks and library cuts; their effort failed 3-6 (with then-Councilman Garcia voting against them, backing Mayor Foster.)