Our city is growing at a very rapid rate. Over $3 billion dollars of building and remodeling permits have been processed or are in the pipeline. Our next census will clearly show as much as a 10-15% increase in the number of residents in Long Beach, this will bring our population close to 500,000. Public Safety ranks as the highest priority, first and foremost on the minds of all our citizens. Why can we not set our goal to have our great city of Long Beach become known as California’s safest city!!!
Not too long ago, Chief Tony Batts came before the City Council and the people of Long Beach and stated that to keep up with the growth, prosperity, and safety for all of our community we need 300 additional police officers. What ever happened to this request? Over the past six months didn’t a new mayor with the addition of three new council members take office?
Violent crime is once again on the increase. With our own officers recently being shot and almost killed, a nationally publicized hate crime incident that has tarnished one of our most pristine neighborhoods, added with gang related homicides, it is no wonder that our entire city is experiencing a general uneasiness about what could happen next and where. So where is the leadership and political will to aggressively pursue a Long Beach safe city agenda?
Whenever the issue of adding additional police officers comes to the fore, money becomes the issue; however, witness recent political payback and special interests influence regarding the most current policing decision. Instead of adding new officers, a whopping $10 million of newly found taxpayer’s funds was injected into a revised police contract to “retain” what we already have. Yet the new mayor was campaigning not too long ago about a massive budget deficit. This new found money would have added at least 80 more sworn personnel to the force to protect our city.
Long Beach and the world have changed. We must demand the addition of critical police officer personnel for the protection of our neighborhoods, downtown and community business districts, airport, and international seaport.