Public Protest

The irresponsible lack of decisiveness by Mayor Garcia and LBPD Chief Luna are directly responsible for many of Long Beach businesses being looted and destroyed. How can they claim that they weren’t aware of the possibilities when they put in extreme measures to keep City Hall and the Police Department building safe with barriers?

Even though the sheriff of Los Angeles County proclaimed a curfew at 6 p.m. on Sunday night, Garcia and Luna dilly-dallied around to an 8 p.m. curfew. How many businesses could have been saved?

They could have limited the protest demonstration time or engaged in substantial pre-planning or called in mutual aid and the National Guard as backup much earlier or punctured the tires of getaway vehicles and confiscated them or exercised a myriad of other measures available to them.

Instead, when the inevitable violence and looting evolved, the well-paid police force just stood by and watched all the while proclaiming an empty victory.

This, people, is your taxpayer dollars NOT at work. Remember that at the voting polls next November.

Diana Lejins

 

Suggested approach to manage the current anger over the killing of George Floyd:

  • The government should provide large safe areas for protesters to gather and vent their anger.
  • These areas should be far away from stores and public buildings.
  • Thought should be given about concerns that local residents may have about the event being held close to their homes.
  • Transportation to the event, needs to be a consideration
  • Stages with public address systems should be provided.
  • Leaders of the community should be asked to speak.
  • Police officials should be asked to speak so they can show their mutual outrage to this senseless killing.
  • Music must be provided (live preferably) to help calm the crowd and help them grieve. Songs that would allow the crowd to sing along are strongly encouraged. Songs like Battle Hymn of the Republic are recommended.
  • Portable restrooms with hand sanitizing stations should be provided.
  • The speakers should encourage people to wear masks and keep their distance from other protesters.
  • No marked police vehicles should be parked in the public areas.
  • Radio, local news stations and social media should be used to help publicize the events.
  • Local television stations should be encouraged to broadcast the events so people can vent their anger and grieve safely at home, Police presence needs to be provided, but they should not be in riot gear.
  • Riot gear should be hidden from public view and only used if absolutely necessary. If the leaders do their jobs it won’t be necessary.
  • First aid stations should be provided and highly visible to show that the government is concerned about their protester’s welfare.
  • Banners with messages that encourage nonviolent protest should be fabricated and installed.
  • Attention should be given to ensure the police officers assigned to the events overall racial makeup reflect the members of the community.
  • Officers may need to be reassigned to city centers to protect property and to deal with the smaller group of bad actors.
  • This approach will help separate the citizens that feel the need to vent their anger from the anarchists, right wing radicals, and opportunists that want to burn and pillage.
  • The distance of the event from stores and public buildings will make it impossible for groups that could splitter from the main event to threaten them.
  • The cost to organize these events would be fraction of the cost we are currently facing with the burning and looting of our cities.
  • I believe many business owners would be glad to contribute to the cost of hosting these events.

One more suggestion: Suspend Donald Trump’s Twitter account to prevent him from fanning the flames.

Jeff Haberman

Category:

Comments

I just read Bill Pearl article "LB Ran Out of Cops" on the front page, How’d That Happen? blaming policing problems to the number of officers the city has? instead of what it really is, INCOMPETENCE. That's laughable..A city this size has enough police officers they are just not used in a proper way. Why don't you look at where these cops are assigned and their rank.! it seems that this department has more administrative officers than patrol officers, in other words too many chiefs not enough Indians (no disrespect intended to Native Americans). The amount of Sergeants and other above ranks is ridiculous for a department this size. These admin officers get paid way over 120K a year not including the OT they scam!! recently COP Luna add an Assistance COP (Hebesh) to the ranks, god only knows what he gets paid. WTF!! Luna needs help managing a department our size?! If he does then he can handle the job and needs to be fried!!! His performance these pass few days showed he is right about not being able to do the Job. Who the hell would approve this stupid decision? Let me take a guess, every one in the city LOL!! We don't need more cops that get paid over 100k we need oversight of police spending and better cops that will work and not stand around!! Hello!!! It does not take a rocket scientist to see the obvious. Don't get me wrong am pro police but against incompetence and wasteful spending of our TAX dollars.

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