(Sept. 17, 2003) -- In one of the most significant presentations by a LB Police Chief in recent memory, LBPD Chief of Police Anthony Batts came to the City Council podium and told Councilmembers -- respectfully but unambiguously -- that LB needs 130 more police officers.

"By our command staff estimates, we're down 90 officers in patrol calls for service, 10 detectives, and we need another thirty officers for new walking and bike beats in our most crime prone neighborhoods and in our growing downtown residential and entertainment center. That's a total of 130 officers, to date, this moment, right now," Chief Batts said at a Sept. 16 afternoon budget workshop...scheduled just hours before a Council vote to adopt the budget.

Responding to Chief Batts' presentation, the president of the Long Beach Police Officers Association, Steve James, came to the podium and told Councilmembers, "Plain and simple, you have a Chief that finally came down here and finally told you the truth," POA President James said.

Chief Batts told the Council of several areas he believes pose public safety challenges, including:

Chief Batts displayed a chart that indicated:

Chief Batts acknowledged that the Council faced budget challenges and competing needs, and as a member of the "city team" he understood the Council's need to strike a balance on allocating resources.

"[W]e are fully aware we as a city are not in the position to expand the Department at the needed rate," Chief Batts said, later adding, "We have staffing shortages, and when the resources are available, we need more police officers."

It was a polite but no-nonsense presentation:

8th district Councilman Rob Webb asked Chief Batts about officer levels in City Hall's 1994 Police Dept. "Strategic Plan" (a product of the City Auditor's office and then-city management). Chief Batts referred to an attachment to the plan (a "wish list," he called it) that indicated LB at 1,023 sworn officers by FY 2000 (i.e. four years ago). "That wish list number comes very close to where we need to be today," Chief Batts said.

In a significant action following Chief Batts' presentation, the President of the Long Beach Police Officers Association, Steve James, came to the podium to underscore what Chief Batts said about the need for more officers.

POA President James: ...Plain and simple, you have a Chief that finally came down here and finally told you the truth.

He just told you we need 130 more police officers. You haven't heard that [before]. About [two years ago], I walked back after one of these meetings with our then-Chief of Police, and he made a comment that he would have asked for more cops if he would have known that an extra million dollars was going to be given to the Public Corporation for the Arts, but he was under the impression that we didn't have the money.

Well, this Chief just came forward and told you we need 130 more cops.

He also told you, which is very important to me, that right now a lack of pay raises has caused a problem: we're unable to get lateral police officers...We are already experiencing a problem with hiring because of our pay structure...

...Ultimately, when the Chief told you he needs 130 more officers, and questions were asked if he has any plans, he very politely told you it's a policy issue. Well what does that mean? That's your problem. That's what it means. That means it's your problem. That's what you ran for office for. He told you he needs 130 more cops. You need to find a way to do that.

...I just want to commend the Chief. I think he did a dynamite job. He's doing a dynamite job...