Today (Aug 10) Long Beach Council Will Discuss Proposed FY 22 LBPD Budget; Mayor/Mgm't Budget Docs Hide LB's Thin Sworn Officer Level, Propose No Restoration Of Any Of Roughly 230 Erased Officers For Taxpayers (Including 48 Defunded Last Year). What Council Incumbents (If Any) Will Say No To This?

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Council Adopts FY22 City Hall Budget With NO Restorations of LB Police Officers

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(Aug. 26, 2021, 12:10 p.m.) -- On an 8-0 vote (Price absent) the Council adopted a FY22 City Hall spending budget with minor tweaks increasing spending for various "youth programs" but with no restoration of police officers for taxpayers.

Shortly before the Council meeting, CD6 had a person-hit shooting (1700 block Lewis in Cambodia Town; male adult suspect fled in white SUV, victim self-transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.) After the Council meeting, LB had a no-person-hit shooting (9 p.m. hour) in the 400 block W. 20th St (South Wrigley, CD 6, casings found) and in the 3 a.m. hour today (Aug. 26) had a no-person hit shooting (casings found) 1400 block Elm Ave. (CD 1/Zendejas) coverage coming.)

The Council adopted FY22 budget leaves Long Beach taxpayers without roughly 230 officers than the City previously provided (including LBPD's former field anti-gang unit) mainly as a result of 2009-2014 Council budget actions that erased roughly 20% of LB's police level..A Sept.2020 Council budget vote defunded an additional 48 officers in FY21 and now hasn't restored them in FY22.

The Council action leaves LB with a thinner per capita officer level than City Councils in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Signal Hill provide for their taxpayers. Chart shows LB police level before Sept. 2020 defunding of 48 additional officers.

No speakers from any LB neighborhood, civic or business groups testified at the Council podium in favor of police restorations.

However multiple speakers lined up (as they have in previous Council budget meetings) to urge the Council to adopt their "Peoples Budget" including a 25% reduction in LBPD spending. Several group speakers voiced dissatisfaction with Mayor Garcia and the Council for continuing LBPD current spending; some called LBPD a murderous institution. The Peoples Budget listed its demands (their term) here. LBForwad said on its website that 'The People’s Budget campaign is led by Black Lives Matter Long Beach, Black Agency, the Housing Justice Coalition, the Language Access Coalition, the Invest in Youth Campaign, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, Long Beach Gray Panthers, LA Voice, and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)."

On July 19, 2021, the City Council voted (8-0, Austin absent) to approve a Mayor/Management labeled a "Safety Recovery Plan" tied in part to the Mayor/management proposed FY22 budget with no police restorations.