LB Violent Crimes AND Property Crimes Up Citywide AND In East Division (Cherry Ave. To East City Limits) Jan-June 2012 vs. 2011

And in a reversal of crime data from just three months ago, LBPD's sprawling east division (area spans roughly half the city from Cherry Ave. to the east city limits) experienced an increase in violent crime more than twice the percentage increase in violent crime citywide, as well as experiencing an increase in property crimes that's nearly twice the increase citywide...with garage burglaries up a staggering 140%.

• The collective category of violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) increased citywide by 3.1% in the first six months of 2012 compared to 2011...and increased 8% in East Division.

• At the same time, the collective category of property crimes (residential burglary, garage burglary, auto burglary, bike theft and auto theft) increased citywide by 11.9%...and increased 21.8% in East Division. Among that category, garage burglaries increased by over 100% with bike thefts the leading losses.

The violent crime increase in East Division is a reversal of data from the first three months of 2012, in which violent crimes increased 13% citywide (propelled by LBPD's North, West and South Divisions) but were basically flat in East Division (0.08% increase) with aggravated assaults (shootings, assault with deadly weapons) down by 9%.

The latest data for the first half of the year was presented on Monday night July 23 by East Division LBPD Commander Michael Beckman to roughly 75 members of the public who attended his regularly scheduled quarterly community gathering (held this time at LB's water treatmeant plant.

[Caveat: the data presented was Division-wide without geographic/neighborhood level breakdowns immediately available. In 2004 during the O'Neill administration, LBPD ended its previous practice of releasing crime data breakdowns by Council district. LBReport.com routinely displays shootings (of which we learn) and murders on a map showing Council districts. Our map, and a separate interactive map on LBPD's website, indicates violent crimes in East Division are mainly in the western portion of the 4th Council district as well as part of the 2nd Council district.]

During his presentation, Commander Beckman also indicated that city management plans to recommend additional budget reductions [that if accepted by a City Council majority in September] would result in [projection attributed to Police Chief McDonnell] an LBPD staffing level of roughly 700 officers (Council budgeted available for citywide deployment) by December 2012.

That would be Long Beach's thinnest sworn officer level in roughly twenty years, roughly equivalent per capita to cutting about 40% of L.A.P.D.'s officers. [Separate LBReport.com coverage, click here].

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