Bits 'n' Pieces

City Announces Lowest Murder Rate in 50 Years

The City of Long Beach ended 2017 with the lowest number of murders recorded in history since it began recording crime statistics in 1968. Compared to 2016, the overall murder rate for 2017 shows a 33.3 percent decrease. As of December 31, 2017, 22 murders have been recorded citywide, down from 33 recorded in 2016.

“We are very pleased with the significant drop in murders and the continued overall reduction in citywide crime,” said Chief of Police Robert Luna. “The noticeable decreases are a true testament to the dedication and the incredible work that our employees do every day. We work together in partnership with our community and other city departments, as well as numerous law enforcement entities in an effort to reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.”

The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) has experienced a significant drop in gang related murders with a 42.1 percent decrease from 2016 due to enhanced gang enforcement efforts, which include a dedicated detective to apprehend prohibited possessors, and continued law enforcement partnerships with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to remove guns off the streets. Additional strategies include:

An increase in homicide detectives over the past few years, which has helped strengthen LBPD’s ability to obtain intelligence, and solve cases while also contributing to the prevention of violent crime. The collaboration between patrol and detectives, combined with relentless investigative follow-up, allow detectives to obtain evidence, identify suspects, and promptly apprehend them.

Funding from the DOJ Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to support DNA analysis, helping detectives solve cases more quickly. These grant funds also provide for a dedicated probation officer through the County of Los Angeles that is available to assist officers encountering matters related to probation and Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS). These ancillary law enforcement services are critical to the prevention, intervention and investigation of crime in Long Beach.

Programming to support patrol and investigative efforts to address various crime trends, including the investigation of shootings and homicides in the city, which is supported by $1.7 million in one-time funds to the Police Department in FY 17 for overtime use.

Additional LBPD analytic staff support in recent years. With one-time funding received from city council in FY 16, the Department created a gang intelligence analyst position and has continued supporting this position with State grant funding. Measure A funds provided for the restoration of the South Division crime analyst; and as the department looks ahead to the coming year, we look forward to building up a Data Analytics Unit, which will onboard three new analysts to conduct citywide crime analysis. This will allow officers to target specific crime trends and exercise proactive efforts throughout the community.

Water Department Energy Storage System Planned

Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) and the Long Beach Water Department (LBWD) announced a partnership to build the first advanced energy storage system for the department’s Groundwater Treatment Plant.

AMS will utilize its battery system and industry-leading transactive energy platform, Armada, to improve the operational efficiency of the plant, lower energy costs and provide critical grid services to the local electric utility.

“We are proud to be ahead of the curve by building this energy storage system,” said Robert Shannon, president of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. “This partnership with AMS will deliver many cost-effective and environmental benefits for our community.”

 The 500 kW / 3,000 kWh energy storage project will be part of a network of batteries in the Long Beach area that will provide grid services to Southern California Edison, help integrate solar capacity on the grid, reduce greenhouse gasses and provide energy cost savings and operational efficiencies to the city and Water Department.

LBWD is committed to water use efficiency. This project advances the nexus between energy and water usage, known as the water-energy nexus. The water-energy nexus refers to the correlation between water and energy use efficiency – water use efficiency also delivers energy efficiency benefits and vice versa. According to the California Energy Commission, the transportation and treatment of water, treatment and disposal of wastewater, and the energy used to heat and consume water account for nearly 20 percent of the total electricity and 30 percent of non-power plant related natural gas consumed in California.

The system is expected to deliver up to $150,000 in annual energy savings to the City of Long Beach, and $1.9 million over 10 years at no up front cost to the city. These savings are created through a unique combination of energy management and load optimization provided through AMS’s Armada Platform. The project is expected to be operational by fall 2018.

$20,000 for Abused, Neglected Children

The holidays were made brighter for abused, neglected and violence-exposed children with $20,000 from the Valero Wilmington Refinery presented to For the Child on Dec. 20. Refinery employees helped raise the funds through sponsorship of the 2017 Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children in San Antonio.

Serving Long Beach and South Bay communities, For the Child has provided trauma recovery counseling for children and family strengthening programs for 43 years at two Long Beach locations, as well as at schools and client homes. In 2017, one out of every seven children who received counseling for trauma from abuse, neglect and exposure to violence were uninsured or from families unable to afford their insurance copay costs.

Corporate gifts like this one and private donations cover the cost for these children and families who do not have resources to pay. “We are grateful for community partners like Valero who help build a circle of safety for our local children. Family poverty or other circumstance should not be a barrier to a child getting the help they need to recover and thrive,” said Michele Winterstein, PhD, executive director of For the Child.

“This is just one of several Valero locations that will proudly distribute funds to children’s charities throughout the United States this year. These gifts enable our community agencies to continue their good work for the many children they serve,” said Mark Phair, vice president and general manager of the Valero Wilmington Refinery. “We appreciate all that these agencies do to improve children’s lives. It gives us great joy to be able to support the children of For the Child once again.”

For more information, visit their website: www.forthechild.org.

LBUSD Endorsement

Dr. Juan M. Benitez, candidate for Long Beach Unified School District’s Board of Education, 3rd district seat, received the endorsements of the Teachers Association of Long Beach, the Long Beach Firefighters Association Local 372, and the Long Beach Police Officers Association.

Dr. Benitez, a history professor and executive director at the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has over 20 years of experience in higher education. He has been a faculty member at CSULB since 2001 and currently serves as the CCE’s executive director, where he heads campus-wide community engagement projects, programs, and initiatives.

He has helped raise nearly $3 million in funding for education, health and civic projects in the region, working with over 100 nonprofit organizations and community groups as well as thousands of students and community members.

Barry Welsch, president of the Teachers Association of Long Beach, stated, “Juan Benitez is an educator who understands the opportunities and challenges facing the Long Beach Unified School District. He listens to the needs of parents, students, and teachers, and he will make sure they have the resources they need for success.”

Rex Pritchard, President of the Long Beach Firefighters Association Local 372, added, “Juan Benitez is a parent, educator and leader that has our support because he has dedicated his life to education and fights for every student.”

Dr. Benitez is the father of a kindergartener that just started school in LBUSD and holds his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). School climate and safety, college and career readiness and community and parent engagement are the areas that Dr. Benitez will prioritize.

LBCCFA Endorsements

The Long Beach City College Faculty Association (LBCCFA) announced that they have formally endorsed Long Beach Community College District Board Members Sunny Zia (Area 3) and Dr. Virginia Baxter (Area 5) for re-election this upcoming April 2018. The group has also endorsed Administrator/University Professor Uduak-Joe Ntuk for College District Board, Area 1.

The Faculty Association represents the Long Beach Community College District’s over 300 faculty members who teach full-time at the district’s two campuses. They are dedicated to the education of their students, the success of the College District, and the education and betterment of the Long Beach community.

“We are proud to endorse Sunny Zia and Dr. Virginia Baxter for re-election to our College District Board,” said DeWayne Sheaffer, PAC chairman for the Faculty Association. “They have both done an excellent job for our College District, its students, its employees, and our community over the last four years and very much deserve another four-year term.”

“After an extensive interview process, the faculty have also chosen to endorse Administrator/University Professor Uduak-Joe Ntuk for College District Board Area 1,” continued Sheaffer. “We are very impressed with his background, experience, vision and knowledge of the College District and believe he will represent our community well.”