Our unofficially tally of recent victims isn't complete because it only includes those who've shared their experience on the NextDoor social network and only for a portion of ELB and some of the victims didn't list their cross-streets. Of those who did, catalytic converters were stolen within the last few days or about a week ago in:

• Northeast Plaza area (east of Palo Verde/north of Spring, general vicinity Knoxville/Josie/Nipomo/Ladoga/Iroquois

• West of El Dorado Golf Course (E. La Marimba St., north of Stearns St/west of Studebaker Rd.)

• Harvey Way/Ocana Ave.

• Graywood Ave. (Lakewood Village)

• Ostrom Ave./Willow St.

• Carson Park

• Los Altos North

• Stratford Square

Catalytic converters are attached to mufflers and turn exhaust gases (carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons) into less harmful emissions by sending them through small amounts of precious metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium. Using a battery operated saw, a thief or team of thieves can quickly cut out a catalytic converter and then sell it for (estimated) $100 or more each. The victim is left with having to replace the item, which can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000+ (which one's insurance, minus a likely deductible, may cover in part.) (One option suggested by some is to spend one's time and money to have a muffler shop weld the catalytic converter onto the car.)

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Last year's wave of catalytic converter theft victims included the son of former 9th dist. Councilman Jerry Shultz (who now lives in the Bellflower/Spring 5th dist. area.) Mr. Shultz (a decorated Vietnam war veteran) undertook the task of methodically organizing neighbors into whjat is now know as the "SoCo [South of Conant] Neighborhood Watch." As its volunteer coordinator, he has managed to gather volunteers who now perform a continuing mission: to patrol South of Conant area neighborhoods in the overnight hours and observe and report suspicious activity. (The neighborhood patrols DON'T take matters into their own hands; they alert LBPD.)

On NextDoor, Mr. Shultz says most of the recent thefts appear to be from Prius's but at least one was form a Ford F-250 truck. (His son lost a catalytic converter from his Prius last year.) He recommends parking one's car in one's driveway or directly infront one's house; keeping one's drive or porch well lit, and getting a "Ring" camera. He's also compliling statistics on theft pattersn, times, areas, models, times of day. [LBREPORT.com has separately asked LBPD to provide us with that data.]

Mr. Shultz's SoCo Neighborhood Watch meets monthly, shares anti-crime tips and experiences and Mr. Shultz told its May meeting that although he can't prove it with certainty, it appears that the overnight patrols have had a deterrent effect on neighborhood crimes in the South of Conant area.

The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at St. Luke's Church, 5633 E. Wardlow Rd. 7:00 p.m. Its next meeting is on June 6th. Mr. Shultz has indicated at previous meetings that residents from other neighborhoods are welcome and encouraged to attend.

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As LBREPORT.com has separately reported, the City of Long Beach currently provides its taxpayers with a thinned per capita> police level. See chart below.

It's the result of budgets recommended by Mayor Garcia and approved by LB's City Council that have to date restored only 22 citywide deployable officers out of 208 citywide deployable officers that LB taxpayers previously had. Starting in 2009 entering FY10, then-Mayor Foster recommended and his then-Council (which included then-Councilman Garcia) voted to approve budgets that erased roughly 20% of LBPD's citywide deployable force. (Other nearby cities didn't do this during what Foster has called "the great recession.")

The City of Long Beach currently provides LB taxpayers with a budgeted sworn police level for routine citywide deployment of 1.59 officers per thousand residents (up from 1.58 in FY18.) By comparison, L.A.'s Mayor/Council budget 2.47 officers per thousand residents (not including Airport/Port police.) Signal Hill, surrounded by Long Beach, budgets 3.15 sworn officers per thousand residents for its taxpayers.

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Our LB ratio doesn't include officers that the Council doesn't allocate or pay-for; that number is decided -- and paid for -- by various entities that contract with LBPD to provide police services at LB's Port, Airport, LBUSD, LBCC, LBTransit, L.A. County Carmelitos housing and Metro. Contracted officers aren't routinely available during their contracted shifts to respond to citywide needs or to calls for service where you live (unless you live inside the Port, the Airport or on a LBTransit bus or a Metro train.) If the number of contracted officers were included, LB's FY19 budgeted police level would be 1.79 officers per thousand.

For details on LB's FY19 citywide deployable budgeted figure, see LBREPORT.com coverage at this link.

In calculating the officer-to-population ratio, LBREPORT.com used the most recent updated population estimate for CA cities provided by the CA Dept.of Finance (May 2018 Report E-1.)

In FY17, LB's Mayor/Council restored 17 citywide deployable officers. In FY18. the Mayor/Council restored no additional citywide deployable officers. For FY19, Mayor Garcia recommends restoring 6 citywide deployable (bicycle patrol) officers while city management proposes shifting one citywide deployable officer to an Airport-contracted position, producing a net increase from FY18 to FY19 of 5 additional routine citywide deployable budgeted officers.

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The net result for taxpayers in FY19 is 22 citywide deployable officers restored out of 208 erased...with 186 citywide deployable budgeted officers that LB taxpayers not restored. That's despite the June 2016 Measure A ("blank check") sales tax increase in which LB consumers now send $50+ million more each year to City Hall. With Council voted approval, the City currently allocates Measure A's sums mainly to street, sidewalk and infrastructure items but has also used part of the revenue to restore LBFD Engine 8 (Belmont Shore) and LBFD Rescue 12 (NLB.)

Among the 186 officers not restored to date is LBPD's former 22-sworn officer field anti-gang unit. While ELB residents deal with stolen catalytic converters, other LB neighborhoods have endured shootings -- 14 total in fatal plus non-fatal plus "no persons hit" shootings) since May 7.

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