LONG BEACH - Murder rates dropped to near 40-year lows and forthe first time the Long Beach Police Department can boast a 90percent rate for cleared murder cases.
That good news was given out by Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster andPolice Chief Jim McDonnell at a media conference held Tuesdayafternoon to unveil the city's 2010 crime statistics.
Foster congratulated the chief and the entire police departmenton a job well done with "a substantial drop in almost every categoryof crime in the city of Long Beach."
Last year saw a 24 percent drop in murders compared with 2009,and reached a low not seen since 1971, Foster said.
The city also saw a 54 percent drop in gang murders. Gang-related shootings fell by 13 percent, the chief noted.
"These are difficult times, you would expect actually crimeincreases ... and to experience these decreases is, I think,testimony to the hard work of every person in the department and tothe great management that we have in the Long Beach PoliceDepartment," Foster said.
The chief gave a detailed breakdown of the 2010 year crimestatistics.
Violent crime dropped by 13percent, with robberies down by 13percent and aggravated assaults dipping 15 percent. Rapes increased2 percent, but McDonnell said police officials were attributing thatincrease - which consisted of three more incidents reported in 2010than in 2009 - to an increase in victims coming forward. He creditedthe department and city's ongoing efforts to educate the publicabout reporting sex crimes with the higher report level.
The chief also acknowledged some of the department's difficultmoments in 2010, noting the members of the force - both sworn andcivilian - have "several million contacts with members of thecommunity, many of which - as you can imagine - are not under thebest of circumstances."
Despite the volume of contacts, the chief said, the departmentlogged 238 complaints. Officer-involved shootings fell by 41 percentin 2010, with 17 incidents in 2009 versus 10 last year, McDonnellsaid.
"We work hard to continuously reduce this number," McDonnellsaid, referring to the number of citizen complaints. Still "that's apretty amazing ratio," he added.
Another area where the department made gains was a drop intraffic accidents, down 276 over the previous year, and 23 fewertraffic fatalities in 2010, McDonnell said.
The chief and the mayor attributed the major crime reductions toa combination of dedication among those on the force, the use oftechnology and being willing to use creative and innovative methodsfor solving crimes and reaching out to the community.
McDonnell said the department's response time - which he said is4.1 minutes on average per call and among the best in the nation -is largely responsible for the reductions.
The chief also said that 93percent of calls to the department'sdispatch center are answered within 10 seconds, well below staterequirements.
The seizure of about 900 guns last year also helped put a dent inthe statistics, he said.
Other programs and methods credited with producing the resultsare the police department's involvement in new technology throughprograms like Nixle, Tip Soft and Safe Reunion Long Beach.
Nixle is an on-line company that provides residents, businessesand government agencies with the ability to sign-up for lawenforcement and other emergency service bulletins pinpointed totheir communities.
Tip Soft allows the LBPD and other police departments to managecrime tips made via the Internet and cell phones and allows foranonymous tips.
Safe Reunion Long Beach sees members of the community at risk forbecoming lost or disoriented, such as the disabled and the elderly,fitted with electronic bracelets that can pinpoint their preciselocation if they are reported missing.
Due to its impact on the city's crime rates, McDonnell said hehoped to bring even more technology to the city and the policedepartment this year, including the possible purchase of closed-circuit TV monitors and shot-spotter technology.
Officers used cameras in patrol cars that read license plateslast year to great effect, contributing to an 8 percent drop in allProperty Crimes for the city and the chief said he would like toincrease the purchase of such cameras.
He also recently spoke with then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aboutsecuring grants to provide more intervention services to thecommunity, particularly those for area youths. That would includekids at risk for joining gangs and those at risk of becoming victimsof gang violence.
At the press conference the chief thanked his force, the citystaff and the community for working together to achieve what hecalled amazing results.
"It's a day certainly we wanted to be able to celebrate with thecommunity and one that I think any police department in Americawould be proud to come before you and announce these type ofstatistics," McDonnell said.
tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1261.
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