A paid public communication by livablecalifornia.org
Dear Speaker Anthony Rendon:
Please oppose SB 902, SB 995, SB 1085, SB 1120, AB 725, AB 1279, AB 2345, AB 3040 and AB 3107.

These Nine Bad Bills are rushing through the legislature with no Sacramento media left to WARN the public.

The Nine Bad Bills will Destroy Our Communities
  • kill homeownership by banning single-family "zoning"
  • allow 10-unit luxury apartments on almost any block
  • severely cut back on needed affordable housing
  • invite speculators to buy up stable Latino & Black suburbs
  • take away yards and garages in new homes
  • override city councils and kill public hearings
  • gentrify our diverse working-class SoCal areas
  • kill a 108-year-old voter right to save open space
These Communities in Your District are Seriously Threatened by the Nine Bad Bills:
  • Maywood
  • Bell
  • Cudahy
  • South Gate
  • Lynwood
  • Paramount
  • Lakewood
  • (North) Long Beach
  • Hawaiian Gardens
Thank you for listening, Speaker Rendon. We appreciate your hard work.
The volunteer movement at livablecalifornia.org.
Please reach us at contact@livableca.org
LBReport.com

News / Detailed Coverage

Long Beach City Mgm't/Mayor Garcia Propose FY 21 Budget That Defunds 50+ Sworn Police Officers (On Top of 180 Left Unrestored), Would Replace 34 With Civilians To Handle These Calls/Tasks

LB Police Officers Ass'n president issues this statement

Mgm't.Mayor snubs Councilman Supernaw, proposes to end grant funding for temporarily restored Engine 17



If LBREPORT.com didn't tell you,
who would?
No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report.

LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.
City Clerk Calls for Argument Writers for the 2020 City Ballot Measure

On November 3, 2020, the City of Long Beach will hold a Consolidated Municipal Election with the Los Angeles General Municipal Election at which voters will consider a ballot measure relating to the Long Beach Community Services General Purpose Oil Production Tax Increase Measure. To make sure there is adequate time for those interested in writing arguments for or against the measure, the Interest Form for Argument Writers is available today on the Office of the City Clerk webpage www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk/elections/ballot-measures/. All interest forms must be received by the City Clerk at 411 West Ocean Boulevard, Lobby Level, Window #12, Long Beach, CA 90802, no later than 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2020.

The Mayor will announce his nominees for argument writers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020. The City Council will vote on those nominations at the City Council meeting on August 11, 2020. Arguments FOR or AGAINST the ballot measure are due to the City Clerk by Friday, August 14, 2020 at 4:30 p.m., while rebuttal arguments are due by Monday, August 24, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. Arguments must not exceed 300 words and rebuttal arguments must not exceed 250 words. For more information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk, at (562) 570-6101.

Above text provided by City Clerk's office
(August 3, 2020, 8:35 p.m.) -- In a proposed FY 21 budget document circulated to City Councilmembers on Aug. 2 but withheld from the public (see LBREPORT.com coverage alleging violation of the Brown Act) until midafternoon Aug. 3, Long Beach city management has proposed, and Mayor Robert Garcia has recommended, defunding 54 Long Beach sworn police officers. 34 would be replaced with civilians. 20 others would be eliminated outright.

Tbe management-Garcia police defunding proposes to erase in a single budget more than twice the number of officers (22) incrementally restored for LB taxpayers after LB voters approved the 2016 Measure A sales tax increase. City management says the proposed officer reductions would save roughly $5.2 million..

As one example (details below) of the 34 civilians proposed to replace sworn officers, 16 sworn police officer positions would be eliminated that previously helped respond to the public's Priority 3 (low priority) Report calls. Instead, 16 Community Services Assistant -- non sworn positions -- will be added, that management says will be trained to work as uniformed, unarmed civilians to investigate and officially document specific property-based crimes, respond to radio calls for nonviolent crimes and assist community members with police reports.

Of the 54 defundeed positions being eliminated, three are "contracted" positions (meaning they're not paid for by City Cuuncil budget decisions but by outside entities that independently choose to reduce those contracted officers.) One reduced position was assigned to the LBUSD School Resource Officer program at LBUSD’s request; Metro has requested reducing 2 positions assigned to its Blue Line.

The botttom line: city management and Mayor Garcia propose that a City Council majority defund 51 (54-3) previously budgeted sworn officers, replacing 34 with civilians and eliminating 20 entirely.

[Scroll down for further.]








The above ad space donated by LBREPORT.com

In a statement published in full below, Rich Chambers, president of the LB Police Officers Ass'n (union) states: "Allowing unarmed civilians to respond to 911 calls is a recipe for disaster. There is a role for civilians in policing, but placing unarmed civilians in harm's way should not be one of them. Low priority, non-violent calls can become high priority emergencies in a matter of seconds, and answering calls for service requires training and screening. When the public calls 911 for help, they expect and deserve a police officer to come. These significant cuts to our staffing will make it harder for us to do that. Replacing our first responders with unarmed civilians is not an acceptable alternative."

But the police officers union stopped short of oposing the prooposed officer reductions outright: "We understand that the City is facing serious budget challenges and most departments will experience cuts on some level. These are tough decisions and we are in the midst of tough times. We believe that the safety and security of our community is the highest priority. The City must carefully assess and understand the potential impact on public safety before the proposed cuts to the police department are finalized."

The City's Joint Information Center tells LBREPORT.com that the proposed FY 21 budget includes 797 total sworn positions of which 91.25 are contracted positions (paid by outside entities to handle policing at LB's Port, LGB, LBTransit, LBCC, Metro and LA County Carmelitos housing.)

If a Council majority were to approve (by mid-September) the management/Mayor proposed defunding of 50+ officers, it would leave L.A. County's second largest city with 705 sworn officers (797-91.25) available for citywide deployment. (Entering 2008, the City of LB provided its taxpayers with nearly 1,000 officers (nearly 2.0 officers per thousand residents.)

The level proposed by the management/Garcia proposed budget would leave LB with a little less than 1.5 officers per thousand residents, a level significantly thinner than budgeted by City Councils in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and LB-adjacent Signal Hill.


Sponsor

Sponsor

The most recent City of Los Angeles budget (supported by LA Mayor Garcetti) while generating controversy made only a relatively small reductions in LA's per capita police level, reducing it from roughly 2.5 per thousand to about 2.43 officers per thousand residents.

LB's Police Officers Association (union) has issued a statement in response to the proposed budget reductions. KBREPORT.com publishes it in full below.

Sponsor

Sponsor


/center>

The management/Mayor proposed 50+ officer reduction comes on top of several years of Council approved budgets that, despite over $60 million in additional revenue annually (prior to COVID-19) from the Measure A sales tax increase, failed to restore over 180 officers for taxpayers. (The officers were erased by a former Council that included then-Councilman Garcia; During the 2009-2015 economic downturn, the former Council under Mayor Bob Foster erased roughly 20% of LB's police level (something other area cities didn't do.)

Among officers not restored is LBPD's former field anti-gang unit (20 officers plus two sergeants) previously deployed in LB neighborhoods impacted by shootings and homicides (disproportionately impacting LB working class areas, a chronic inequity LBREPORT.com has editorially deplored as a "tale of two cities."].

Sponsor

Sponsor

The management/Garcia FY 21 budget proposes "Re-envisioning Public Safety" in pertinent part as follows:

  • Use of Civilian Positions in lieu of Sworn Positions in the Police Department

    Part of the effort to re-envision the way services are delivered within the Police Department is the effort to civilianize certain sworn positions that are currently assigned to departmental functions that do not require arrest authority or can be performed by a civilian classification.

    ...ln total, the items below eliminate 34 sworn positions and add 28.7 civilian positions, generating approximately $5.2 million in savings.

    Convert 16 Police Officers to 16 Community Services Assistants who can respond to Priority 3 Report calls. Priority 3 calls are non-violent 9-1-1 calls that are primarily requests for a crime report to be filled after a property crime has occurred. Several jurisdictions use civilian positions for these roles. Uniformed, unarmed civilians will be trained to investigate and officially document specific property -based crimes, respond to radio calls for nonviolent crimes, and assist co mmunity members wit h police reports.

  • Convert 5 Police Officer positions to 5 Property and Supply Clerk positions who will be assigned to manage, replace, and coordinate the repair of public safety equipment and facility duties at the police substations.

  • Civilianize the Air Support Unit by eliminating 6 Police Officers and adding 2 civilian Pilots. The Air Support operation schedule will be reassessed and aligned with calls for service trends and patterns.

  • Convert 1 Detective position to a Crime Analyst and Non-Career Police Investigator positions assigned to the Special Investigation Division. This will add analytical and investigative support to sections and units that investigate homicides, gang activity, narcotics, and other violent crime incidents. These civilian positions will coordinate with crime analysts assigned to the Patrol division to promote increased investigative and operational communication to address crime trends.

  • Reduce the Warrant Detail from 4 sworn positions to 1 Sergeant and 2 Assistant Administrative Analyst positions to continue the work of monitoring and coordinating due diligence checks on individuals with outstanding warrants using Directed Enforcement Teams.

  • Convert a West Division Lieutenant position to an Administrative Analyst position who will continue to support the Police IT unit.

  • Eliminate 2 Detectives in the Detectives Division and add a Police Non-Career Investigator position to continue the monitoring and investigation of sex offender compliance.

  • Transfer the Crossing Guard Program from the Police Department to the Public Works Department. This is a reorganization effort within the City that will help streamline the hiring process and align citywide employment opportunities with workforce development goals.
  • Sponsor


    . .

    Other changes are proposed to "restructure and strealine" jail operations and moving the juvenile booking desk to an offsite facility and other internal realliocations.

    A police office position will be upgraded to a police Sergeant to "oversee the Mental Health Evaluation Team and Quality of Life Team. The Quality of Life Teams and Mental Health Evaluation Teams will be combined together totaling 10 police officer and 4 social workers. The Police Sergeant position will provide unified supervision within the Police Department’s homeless outreach and mental health support services."

  • Enhance the analytical capabilities of the Internal Affairs Division to investigate and analyze all Police Department misconduct cases through a reallocation of an analyst position from the Office of the Chief of Police to the Internal Affairs Division.

  • Changing the HEART Team model -- The City has two Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART) Units that have been staffed by two Firefighter/Paramedics for each nit. As noted in the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative section above, this budget proposes to move the two HEART teams in the Fire Department to the Health Department and staff the teams with nurses. This is anticipated to save approximately a net $450,000 between the Fire and Health Departments and continue to provide a mobile service staffed by nursing professionals specially trained and equipped to meet the health and social needs of the populations being served.

    Long Beach Police Officers Ass'n (union) statement

    The City of Long Beach is proposing to make drastic cuts to the police department. A total of 54 sworn positions are in jeopardy of elimination while 34 of those positions are set to be replaced with civilians. There have been no detailed studies or deliberation about how the proposed cuts will make residents safer or services more efficient; in fact, the contrary is evident.

    As we see in the headlines almost every day, violent crime continues to occur and this substantial cut to our sworn positions will no doubt affect the safety and security of our communities. Our over-tasked and over-worked patrol divisions will lose 16 police officers. Less patrol cars on the street means longer response times to emergency calls. It means less time for officers to do community policing and less time to build relationships in neighborhoods. Such reductions will also affect the ability to implement the critical training that we all want for our officers.

    Allowing unarmed civilians to respond to 911 calls is a recipe for disaster. There is a role for civilians in policing, but placing unarmed civilians in harm's way should not be one of them. Low priority, non-violent calls can become high priority emergencies in a matter of seconds, and answering calls for service requires training and screening. When the public calls 911 for help, they expect and deserve a police officer to come. These significant cuts to our staffing will make it harder for us to do that. Replacing our first responders with unarmed civilians is not an acceptable alternative.

    We understand that the City is facing serious budget challenges and most departments will experience cuts on some level. These are tough decisions and we are in the midst of tough times. We believe that the safety and security of our community is the highest priority. The City must carefully assess and understand the potential impact on public safety before the proposed cuts to the police department are finalized.

    s/ Rich Chambers, President
    Long Beach Police Officers Association

  • Fire Engine 17 (Argonne Ave.)

    In an action impacting Los Altos residents and ELB areas beyond, and a de facto snub to 4th district Councilman Daryl Supernaw, city management (without Mayor Garcia's objection) proposes to end funding for Engine 17 (Argonne Ave.). For several years, Councilman Supernaw tried without success to restore funding for Engine 17, which management and the Council agreed to temporarily restore using grant funding in 2019 (coincided with Supernaw approaching his 2020 re-election cycle; Supernaw ultimately faced no opposition.) City management now says that to qualify for the grant would require additional costs and continuing commitments making use of the grant funds for Engine 17 inadvisable. Unless a Council majority changes the management/Garcia proposed budget on this item, funding for Engine 17 will disappear (again.)

    Aug. 4, 8:13 p.m. Text added clarifying Engine 17 grant funding.

    Sponsor

    Sponsor

    .
    Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.


    blog comments powered by Disqus

    Recommend LBREPORT.com to your Facebook friends:


    Follow LBReport.com with:

    Twitter

    Facebook

    RSS

    Return To Front Page

    Contact us: mail@LBReport.com



    Adoptable pet of the week:




    Copyright © 2020 LBReport.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use/Legal policy, click here. Privacy Policy, click here