Neighborhood Crimes/Nuisances Receive Relatively Little Attention (Police Chief/Fire Chief Not Heard), No Action Plan Offered By Mayor/Councilmembers To Change Status Quo, In Over Three Hour Discussion Of Homelessness

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(October 5, 2016, 7:40 a.m.) -- Neighborhood crimes/nuisances received relatively little attention as Mayor Garcia/City Councilmembers/city staff, followed by public testimony primarily from homeless advocates, discussed homelessness for over three hours in an Oct. 4 "study session." Police Chief Luna and Fire Chief DuRee weren't heard (and it's unclear if they were invited.) Instead, city staffers in charge of current city homeless programs were allowed to frame issues for discussion.

The study session was scheduled by Mayor Garcia and stretched to nearly 9 p.m., ending without an action plan to change current city practices that residents and businesses have charged (in previous public meetings) are letting crimes/nuisances persist and worsen. Councilmembers Stacy Mungo and Dee Andrews didn't attend the Council meeting.

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Mayor Garcia scheduled the study session after residents and businesses from downtown to ELB began complaining about crimes and neighborhood nuisances allegedly committed by increased numbers of homeless persons. The study session opened with a roughly one hour presentation by Health and Human Services staff describing current city policies and programs. Councilmembers then praised current city policies programs. Mayor Garcia praised his decision to participate in an Obama administration program targeting homeless veterans that he and city staff say has succeeded locally.

Neither the Mayor nor any of LB's Councilmembers mentioned AB 1176, a bill that passed the Sacramento legislature but was vetoed by Governor Brown, that would have amended Prop 47 by making the buying or receiving of a stolen firearm, with knowledge that it was stolen, or concealing, selling, withholding, or aiding in concealing, selling, or withholding of a firearm, with knowledge that it was stolen, a misdemeanor or a felony.

Councilwoman Price, who has on previously occasions forcefully cited Prop 47 (which reduced multiple felonies to misdemeanors) as part of the problem, did inquire about about drug treatment programs (or the lack of them) in Long Beach. (Price has repeatedly noted that courts can no longer offer rigorous drug diversion programs in sentencing for meth/heroin crimes which Prop 47 now treats as misdemeanors.)

The study session opened with a lengthy presentation (Power Point, no agendized text provided) by city staff describing current city homeless programs. Councilmembers then praised current city homeless efforts. Public testimony followed with multiple speakers urging greater compassion for the homeless and advocated more low income housing and greater protections for renters.

Some speakers cited court rulings (including the ACLU-driven litigation in Jones v. City of Los Angeles in 2006) in which an L.A. federal judge cited the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution (cruel and unusual punishment) in preventing cities from criminalizing behavior in which people sleep and reside in public areas when taxpayers fail to provide other places for them to go.

A number of speakers urged greater compassion for the homeless; some said they had or would volunteer to help and other speakers advocated more low income housing and greater protections for renters. A few speakers raised the issue of the City's seeming inability to address neighborhood crimes and nuisances but received no specific follow-up from Councilmembers.

The study session ended without the Mayor or Councilmembers advocating specific actions to change current practires regarding neighborhood crimes/nuisances related to homelessness. Since the discussion was agendized as a "study session," there were no voted Council actions. Mayor Garcia indicated more meetings on homelessness would be held in the future.. .