LB Latest Population Number Is...And Data Show LB's Thin Mayor/Council Budgeted Ratio Of Police-to-Population Despite Measure A Sales Tax Increase

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(May 3, 2018, 7:40 a.m.) -- From Jan. 1, 2017 to Jan 1, 2018, Long Beach's population grew by 0.2% to 478,827 while the City of Los Angeles grew 0.8% to 4,054,400, according to the latest population estimates released by the CA Dept. of Finance (Report E-1).

Signal Hill's population grew by 1.7% to 11,749. Lakewood grew by 0.l% to 81,179.

The state agency's annual updates are used by multiple levels of government in various contexts, including housing and grants.

LBREPORT.com applied the latest figures to calculate the ratio of police officers to residents budgeted by Long Beach's Mayor/Council compared to that of nearby cities (the largest and one of the smallest.)

In FY18, the City of Signal Hill budgeted roughly 3.15 officers per thousand residents. The City of Los Angeles budgeted roughly 2.47 per thousand. Long Beach (L.A. County's second largest city) budgeted (Mayor recommended, Council approved) 1.58 citywide deployable officers per thousand residents.

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Here's the math:

Long Beach FY18 adopted budget = 848 total sworn officers. Of the 848 total officers, 93.25 are contracted to, paid by and deployed at LB's Port + Airport + LBTransit + LBCC+ LBUSD + Carmelitos + Metro, meaning they aren't routinely available for citywide deployment, neighborhood patrols or citywide calls for service.
848 total officers minus 93.25 contracted officers = 754.75 budgeted citywide deployable officers.
754.75 / 478.827 [thousands in LB's population] = 1.576 (rounded to 1.58) budgeted citywide deployable officers per thousand population.

Data sources for budgeted officers: City of LB FY18 adopted budget, p. 358; SHPD Operations Lt. Nick Davenport; LAPD website (www.lapdonline.org) viewed May 3, 2018

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In June 2016, LB voters approved Measure A, a General Fund ("blank check") sales tax increase. It now brings LB City Hall $40+ million annually in additional revenue.

Of 208 LBPD officers erased by Mayor/Council budget actions since 2009, the incumbent City Council restored 17 citywide deployable officers in FY17 and restored no further officers for taxpayers in FY18. The result has left LB taxpayers without 191 officers that LB City Hall previously provided (including 22-sworn officer field anti-gang unit.) .

LB's incumbent Mayor and Councilmembers have no legal obligation under Measure A or Measure M (June 2018 proposed water/sewer fee for "blank check" Gen'l Fund purposes) to restore any further citywide deployable police officers for taxpayers.

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