Roughly Sixty Days After Council Votes To Defund Nearly 50 Police, LBPD Says Deploying Increased Patrols And Heavy Police Presence Enabled Recent Swift Arrest of Willmore City Triple Shooting Suspects

LBReport.com

News

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.

(Nov. 11, 2020, 4:20 a.m.) -- Roughly sixty days after the City Council voted (without dissent) to defund 48 officers in FY21 (on top of 180+ not restored from a 2009-2015 defunding), LBPD says deploying increased patrols and a heavy police presence in the Willmore City area enabled officers to swiftly identify, locate and arrest three suspects in the Nov. 5 triple-victim shooting (700 block Chestnut Ave., LBREPORT,.com coverage here.)

Immediately following the shooting, LBPD PIO Allison Gallagher said "We have patrols in the area and will continue to have a heavy police presence." [It's not immediately clear how LBPD comand staff managed to deploy those additional patrols, from overtime, or by shifting officers from other LB neighborhoods or other means.]

In a November 6 release, LBPD says its officers were on scene within two minutes. "Due to an increase in patrols and heavy police presence, officers were able to locate the suspect’s vehicle and detain the first two suspects within 10 minutes of the call coming in. Officers located the third suspect quickly thereafter."

LBPD adds that through the course of their investigation, officers recovered two firearms. "While motive is still under investigation, detectives believe the shooting is gang-related," LBPD's release says.

Officers arrested three adult suspects: a 25 year old LB man (suspicion of attempt murder, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, and participation in a criminal street gang); a 43-year-old LB woman (suspicion of attempt murder, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, being an accessory, and participation in a criminal street gang) and a 30 year old LB man (suspicion of attempt murder, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, and violation of parole.)

Among officers previously defunded and not restored for taxpayers are 22 officers (20 officers + 2 sergeants) who comprised LBPD's now-former field anti-gang unit. (LBREPORT.com coverage here.)

The Council's Sept. 2020 voted budget action left LB (LA County's second largest city) with an even thinner level of officers per capita than Los Angeles, Signal Hill and Santa Monica. LBREPORT.com coverage here.

LBPD says the motive for the most recent shootings "is unknown."

An LBPD Commander recently told LBREPORT.com that recent shooting do NOT indicate Long Beach is having a gang war." (Recent shootings in Central LB and parts of NLB reported by LBREPORT.com here, here, here, here, here and here)

Sponsor

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

Adoptable pet of the week: