PRESS RELEASE

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% decrease. As of December 31, 2017, 22 murders have been recorded citywide, down from 33 recorded in 2016.

“This historic reduction in homicides is a huge win for the people of Long Beach,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “The city has dramatically become safer over the last decades thanks to the men and women of the LBPD and community partnerships. Every life lost is still a tragedy, so we will continue to press on to make Long Beach even safer.”

“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% 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.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.