November 2010 Archives
LONG BEACH -- Crime this year is way down, but so are the number of the sworn officers in the Long Beach Police Department.
The two subjects were among several discussed at a meeting Tuesday afternoon of the Long Beach City Council's Public Safety Committee, the first gathering of the committee since last April.
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell told the committee the city is looking at the possibility of a major drop in crime rates for 2010, with numbers so low they haven't been seen since the 1970s.
Violent crime has dropped 12.4 percent from January to October of this year. Property crime has fallen 10.1 percent in the same period, making for an overall 10.6 percent reduction in Part I crimes, the chief said.
"Given the current staffing levels these decreases are nothing short of amazing," McDonnell said.
The number of sworn officers is down by 76 positions, leaving 888 sworn officers on the force, the chief said.
No layoffs are expected in fiscal year 2011, which began last October, and no immediate staff reductions are on the horizon. A 4.5-percent drop in overtime is projects for this fiscal year and other changes in operations could come, the chief said.
The cuts, he said, have had a minimal impact on the service provided. Response time for the police department is at 4.12 minutes on average, "which is outstanding," McDonnell said.
However, normal attrition rates could see between 25 and 35 more sworn positions disappear by the end of 2011, bringing police staffing levels to a potentially dangerous low, the chief warned.
A lateral academy -- where police officers trained by other agencies come to Long Beach -- can help as a stop gap measure, the chief said.
Such academies take three to five months to get officers on the streets, compared to a nearly two year process for all new recruit academies. The chief estimated the cost of a lateral academy using two lists of officers already gathered by city staff -- but which must be vetted again -- at about $175,000.
However a recruit academy -- which sees first time police recruits completely trained by the LBPD -- will likely be needed within the next two years to address the growing number of vacancies on the force.
There is a list of nearly 200 officers that was put together by city staff in 2009, though all those officers will have to be reviewed anew for psychological evaluations, background checks and polygraph tests, McDonnell said.
The cost of a recruit academy is around $2.5 to $2.8 million, he estimated.
"Both types of academies have their pros and cons," the chief said, noting lateral academies don't always get the best candidates and recruit academies are expensive.
If a recruit academy is to be completed by the end of 2012, the council will have to find the funding in early 2011, McDonnell added.
Also discussed in the meeting were strategies to increase the use of technology in the police department.
The chief said officers have been in contact with area security firms to get a count of all the private surveillance cameras already set up in the city.
McDonnell said he would like to see the police department work with residents and businesses who use cameras to provide real time viewing to the police department.
Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske and 7th District Councilman James Johnson both discussed the possibility of offering incentives to businesses through the city's licensing department if they set up and use surveillance cameras at their properties.
First District Councilman Robert Garcia said the next Public Safety Committee meeting, which has yet to be scheduled, will focus on the Long Beach Fire Department.
The two subjects were among several discussed at a meeting Tuesday afternoon of the Long Beach City Council's Public Safety Committee, the first gathering of the committee since last April.
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell told the committee the city is looking at the possibility of a major drop in crime rates for 2010, with numbers so low they haven't been seen since the 1970s.
Violent crime has dropped 12.4 percent from January to October of this year. Property crime has fallen 10.1 percent in the same period, making for an overall 10.6 percent reduction in Part I crimes, the chief said.
"Given the current staffing levels these decreases are nothing short of amazing," McDonnell said.
The number of sworn officers is down by 76 positions, leaving 888 sworn officers on the force, the chief said.
No layoffs are expected in fiscal year 2011, which began last October, and no immediate staff reductions are on the horizon. A 4.5-percent drop in overtime is projects for this fiscal year and other changes in operations could come, the chief said.
The cuts, he said, have had a minimal impact on the service provided. Response time for the police department is at 4.12 minutes on average, "which is outstanding," McDonnell said.
However, normal attrition rates could see between 25 and 35 more sworn positions disappear by the end of 2011, bringing police staffing levels to a potentially dangerous low, the chief warned.
A lateral academy -- where police officers trained by other agencies come to Long Beach -- can help as a stop gap measure, the chief said.
Such academies take three to five months to get officers on the streets, compared to a nearly two year process for all new recruit academies. The chief estimated the cost of a lateral academy using two lists of officers already gathered by city staff -- but which must be vetted again -- at about $175,000.
However a recruit academy -- which sees first time police recruits completely trained by the LBPD -- will likely be needed within the next two years to address the growing number of vacancies on the force.
There is a list of nearly 200 officers that was put together by city staff in 2009, though all those officers will have to be reviewed anew for psychological evaluations, background checks and polygraph tests, McDonnell said.
The cost of a recruit academy is around $2.5 to $2.8 million, he estimated.
"Both types of academies have their pros and cons," the chief said, noting lateral academies don't always get the best candidates and recruit academies are expensive.
If a recruit academy is to be completed by the end of 2012, the council will have to find the funding in early 2011, McDonnell added.
Also discussed in the meeting were strategies to increase the use of technology in the police department.
The chief said officers have been in contact with area security firms to get a count of all the private surveillance cameras already set up in the city.
McDonnell said he would like to see the police department work with residents and businesses who use cameras to provide real time viewing to the police department.
Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske and 7th District Councilman James Johnson both discussed the possibility of offering incentives to businesses through the city's licensing department if they set up and use surveillance cameras at their properties.
First District Councilman Robert Garcia said the next Public Safety Committee meeting, which has yet to be scheduled, will focus on the Long Beach Fire Department.
File this one under what is this world coming to?
A 59-year female crossing guard was beaten and robbed of her stop sign and whistle in front of twenty school children and a few adults Monday afternoon in the Florence-Firestone area.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies from Century Sheriff's Station were called to Hooper Avenue and Firestone Boulevard at 2 p.m. when the attack occurred.
Witnesses said the victim, who was working as a crossing guard, was assisting school children across the street in the crosswalk when two suspects drove up to the intersection in a black Ford Expedition and began to turn east on Firestone Boulevard from northbound Hooper Avenue. The crossing guard raised her stop sign higher in the air and told the suspects, "You have to stop, the children come first."
The male driver, 27-year-old Jose Hernandez, yelled at the crossing guard that he was not stopping. As he continued to yell at the crossing guard a female suspect, 20-year-old Vanessa Del Pilar Martinez, got out of the passenger side of the SUV and approached the crossing guard. As the crossing guard tried to walk away from Martinez began hitting the crossing guard with her fists, knocking her to the ground.
Hernandez then got out of his SUV, approached the victim, and forcibly took her stop sign. He also ripped the lanyard holding the victim's whistle and work identification from around her neck. The suspects got back into the SUV and drove east on Firestone Boulevard and out of sight.
The robbery occurred in the presence of about 20 elementary school children and several adults who went to pick their kids up after school. Many of the adults provided information to deputies at the scene, including the license plate number of the SUV.
Century Sheriff's Deputies traced the car to a home in the Florence-Firestone area and were able to locate and arrest the two suspects after a witness positively identified them as the culprits in the attack. The victim's stop sign was also found inside the suspects' home.
The two suspects were booked for robbery and assault at the Century Regional Detention Facility and are expected to be arraigned Wednesday.
Their bail was set at $50,000 each.
The victim, who suffered relatively minor injuries, was treated at a local hospital Monday and able to go home the same day, deputies said.
"This is very surprising," said Sheriff's Lt. Mike Thatcher. "We have never seen anything like this before and hope we never do again."
A 59-year female crossing guard was beaten and robbed of her stop sign and whistle in front of twenty school children and a few adults Monday afternoon in the Florence-Firestone area.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies from Century Sheriff's Station were called to Hooper Avenue and Firestone Boulevard at 2 p.m. when the attack occurred.
Witnesses said the victim, who was working as a crossing guard, was assisting school children across the street in the crosswalk when two suspects drove up to the intersection in a black Ford Expedition and began to turn east on Firestone Boulevard from northbound Hooper Avenue. The crossing guard raised her stop sign higher in the air and told the suspects, "You have to stop, the children come first."
The male driver, 27-year-old Jose Hernandez, yelled at the crossing guard that he was not stopping. As he continued to yell at the crossing guard a female suspect, 20-year-old Vanessa Del Pilar Martinez, got out of the passenger side of the SUV and approached the crossing guard. As the crossing guard tried to walk away from Martinez began hitting the crossing guard with her fists, knocking her to the ground.
Hernandez then got out of his SUV, approached the victim, and forcibly took her stop sign. He also ripped the lanyard holding the victim's whistle and work identification from around her neck. The suspects got back into the SUV and drove east on Firestone Boulevard and out of sight.
The robbery occurred in the presence of about 20 elementary school children and several adults who went to pick their kids up after school. Many of the adults provided information to deputies at the scene, including the license plate number of the SUV.
Century Sheriff's Deputies traced the car to a home in the Florence-Firestone area and were able to locate and arrest the two suspects after a witness positively identified them as the culprits in the attack. The victim's stop sign was also found inside the suspects' home.
The two suspects were booked for robbery and assault at the Century Regional Detention Facility and are expected to be arraigned Wednesday.
Their bail was set at $50,000 each.
The victim, who suffered relatively minor injuries, was treated at a local hospital Monday and able to go home the same day, deputies said.
"This is very surprising," said Sheriff's Lt. Mike Thatcher. "We have never seen anything like this before and hope we never do again."
LONG BEACH -- Two Long Beach Police officers involved in a car crash in Downtown Long Beach were rushed to a local emergency room Monday night.
Police blocked off traffic along Atlantic Avenue from the downtown area to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center to make for a speedy ride.
The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. at Long Beach and Ocean boulevards, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, an LBPD spokeswoman.
Zapalski said it was too early to tell the extent of the officers' injuries and she did not have any information about their condition or the extent of the crash.
More information is expected later this evening.
Police blocked off traffic along Atlantic Avenue from the downtown area to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center to make for a speedy ride.
The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. at Long Beach and Ocean boulevards, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, an LBPD spokeswoman.
Zapalski said it was too early to tell the extent of the officers' injuries and she did not have any information about their condition or the extent of the crash.
More information is expected later this evening.
A $10,000 reward was offered Tuesday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever gunned down a 27-year-old La Mirada woman in North Long Beach last summer.
The body of Heather Broadus was found in a parkway in the 300 block of East 56th Street early on the morning of Aug. 30. She had been shot multiple times, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe recommended the reward, which was unanimously approved by his colleagues.
Anyone with information about the slaying was asked to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Scott Lasch or Donald Goodman at 562-570-7244.
The body of Heather Broadus was found in a parkway in the 300 block of East 56th Street early on the morning of Aug. 30. She had been shot multiple times, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe recommended the reward, which was unanimously approved by his colleagues.
Anyone with information about the slaying was asked to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Scott Lasch or Donald Goodman at 562-570-7244.
A hearing for the former chief of the state's largest mental health facility who stands accused of sexually abusing his adoptive son for more than 10 years was postponed Wednesday.
Claude Edward Foulk Jr. will return to the Long Beach Superior Court Thursday, when a trial date could be set.
The 62-year-old defendant, who was raised in Long Beach and who allegedly abused his adopted son while living and working in Long Beach as a therapist, has denied all allegations.
Though the criminal case is based on one adopted son, now 27, who was identified by the court as Jonathan several other men testified in Foulk's preliminary hearing that Foulk abused them as well when they were his foster or adopted children, or friends of those children.
No counts were filed based on their claims because the statute of limitations had run out, prosecutors said.
Foulk was arrested earlier this year by Long Beach Police Department Sex Crime detectives at the Napa State Hospital, the state's largest mental health facility where Foulk served as the hospital's executive director and where he lived on hospital grounds. He was fired almost immediately upon his arrest and has remained in custody at the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail in lieu of $3.5 million bail since his Feb. 24 arrest.
Claude Edward Foulk Jr. will return to the Long Beach Superior Court Thursday, when a trial date could be set.
The 62-year-old defendant, who was raised in Long Beach and who allegedly abused his adopted son while living and working in Long Beach as a therapist, has denied all allegations.
Though the criminal case is based on one adopted son, now 27, who was identified by the court as Jonathan several other men testified in Foulk's preliminary hearing that Foulk abused them as well when they were his foster or adopted children, or friends of those children.
No counts were filed based on their claims because the statute of limitations had run out, prosecutors said.
Foulk was arrested earlier this year by Long Beach Police Department Sex Crime detectives at the Napa State Hospital, the state's largest mental health facility where Foulk served as the hospital's executive director and where he lived on hospital grounds. He was fired almost immediately upon his arrest and has remained in custody at the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail in lieu of $3.5 million bail since his Feb. 24 arrest.
SEAL BEACH -- Too much turkey and stuffing this coming holiday might make you sleepy, but too much alcohol during the long weekend -- or any time -- can be deadly.
That is why the Seal Beach Police Department plans to hold a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint this long holiday weekend on on Pacific Coast Highway, between 12th and Main Streets.
The grant-funded checkpoint is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Nov. 26 and run until 3 a.m. Nov. 27, said Seal Beach Police Sgt. Steve Bowles.
It's part of the statewide "Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest program" and may result in all vehicles that pass through the area being stopped and checked for impaired drivers and drivers operating without a valid license.
Drivers who, at any time, see another motorist who appears under the influence of drugs or alcohol are urged to to call 911 immediately to report the suspicious driver, Bowles added.
That is why the Seal Beach Police Department plans to hold a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint this long holiday weekend on on Pacific Coast Highway, between 12th and Main Streets.
The grant-funded checkpoint is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Nov. 26 and run until 3 a.m. Nov. 27, said Seal Beach Police Sgt. Steve Bowles.
It's part of the statewide "Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest program" and may result in all vehicles that pass through the area being stopped and checked for impaired drivers and drivers operating without a valid license.
Drivers who, at any time, see another motorist who appears under the influence of drugs or alcohol are urged to to call 911 immediately to report the suspicious driver, Bowles added.
LONG BEACH -- Two children were hit by a Jeep while crossing the street Monday afternoon but neither suffered serious injuries, police said.
Long Beach Police were called to the intersection of Bixby Road and Orange Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. after the driver of a 2003 Jeep Wrangler struck the kids as they were walking in a cross walk, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
The driver was traveling west on Bixby and making a left turn onto Orange when she hit two of three kids walking with a crossing guard, the sergeant said.
"The crossing guard had a stop sign up and the children were walking in front of the guard," the sergeant said. "(The driver) said ... she had the sun in her eyes and she was high enough off the ground that she just didn't see them."
The two kids -- 10 and 7 years old -- had scrapes and bruises and one complained of minor head pain, Zapalski said.
Both children were taken by paramedics to a local hospital as a precaution, she added.
The driver of the Jeep was cited at the scene and released, Zapalski said.
Long Beach Police were called to the intersection of Bixby Road and Orange Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. after the driver of a 2003 Jeep Wrangler struck the kids as they were walking in a cross walk, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
The driver was traveling west on Bixby and making a left turn onto Orange when she hit two of three kids walking with a crossing guard, the sergeant said.
"The crossing guard had a stop sign up and the children were walking in front of the guard," the sergeant said. "(The driver) said ... she had the sun in her eyes and she was high enough off the ground that she just didn't see them."
The two kids -- 10 and 7 years old -- had scrapes and bruises and one complained of minor head pain, Zapalski said.
Both children were taken by paramedics to a local hospital as a precaution, she added.
The driver of the Jeep was cited at the scene and released, Zapalski said.
A Long Beach man was convicted Tuesday of the 1988 torture and murder of a friend at the victim's Sunset Beach home.
Orange County prosecutors said in a statement that 50-year-old Paul Gentile Smith was found guilty of one count of felony murder with the special circumstances of torture. He faces the possibility of life in prison without parole when he returns to court for sentencing Nov. 29.
Prosecutors said Smith stabbed longtime friend Robert Haugen 18 times, then set the
victim's remains on fire at Haugen's Sunset Beach apartment.
Smith was charged last year after investigators say they matched him with DNA from
the scene.
Smith is awaiting trial on a charge of witness tampering for allegedly hiring a hitman last year
to assault the lead investigator in his murder case.
Orange County prosecutors said in a statement that 50-year-old Paul Gentile Smith was found guilty of one count of felony murder with the special circumstances of torture. He faces the possibility of life in prison without parole when he returns to court for sentencing Nov. 29.
Prosecutors said Smith stabbed longtime friend Robert Haugen 18 times, then set the
victim's remains on fire at Haugen's Sunset Beach apartment.
Smith was charged last year after investigators say they matched him with DNA from
the scene.
Smith is awaiting trial on a charge of witness tampering for allegedly hiring a hitman last year
to assault the lead investigator in his murder case.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives are searching for a suspect believed to have been involved in two robberies in La Mirada Monday, and as many as nine other robberies in surrounding communities since last Thursday.
At 1:30 p.m. on Monday, the suspect allegedly handed a threatening note to a clerk at
the CVS drugstore on Beach Boulevard in La Mirada and got away with an
undisclosed amount of cash, according to Sgt. Craig Harman of the
Norwalk Sheriff's Station.
Less than two hours later, the same man held up a Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor at
14750 Beach Blvd. In both cases, the suspect presented a demand note to the clerk,
threatening injury, Harman said.
Harman said the same suspect was believed to have been involved in nine other
robberies between last Thursday and this Monday in La Habra, Buena
Park, Long Beach and Signal Hill.
He was described as a heavyset man in his 30s, 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 7 inches
tall, weighing about 200 pounds. When last seen he was wearing a red shirt, black
shoes, white socks, red hat and sun glasses.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Norwalk Sheriff's Station
at 562-863-8711 or the La Mirada substation at 562-902-2960.
At 1:30 p.m. on Monday, the suspect allegedly handed a threatening note to a clerk at
the CVS drugstore on Beach Boulevard in La Mirada and got away with an
undisclosed amount of cash, according to Sgt. Craig Harman of the
Norwalk Sheriff's Station.
Less than two hours later, the same man held up a Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor at
14750 Beach Blvd. In both cases, the suspect presented a demand note to the clerk,
threatening injury, Harman said.
Harman said the same suspect was believed to have been involved in nine other
robberies between last Thursday and this Monday in La Habra, Buena
Park, Long Beach and Signal Hill.
He was described as a heavyset man in his 30s, 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 7 inches
tall, weighing about 200 pounds. When last seen he was wearing a red shirt, black
shoes, white socks, red hat and sun glasses.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Norwalk Sheriff's Station
at 562-863-8711 or the La Mirada substation at 562-902-2960.
