TITLE
Recommendation to request Public Safety Committee review a proposal and report back to the full City Council within 60 days, to establish by ordinance a Public Safety Commission comprised of the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, Chief of Police, Fire Chief and City Prosecutor that shall establish appropriate levels of public safety staffing consistent with the City’s population, public safety priorities, police and fire policies and practices, number of calls for service, response times, uniform crime reporting data, population size and density, demographics of population, citizen demands for services, municipal resources, surrounding jurisdiction crime statistics and data from the National Fire Protection Association, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Insurance Services Office, International Cities Management Association and the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
The Commission shall report its findings and the City Council shall adjust budgeting for public safety staffing accordingly.
Nothing would preclude the Mayor and City Council from convening this Commission more than once every five years.
DISCUSSION
POLICE
Amending the Long Beach City Charter to require the City Council to establish a staffing ratio for police that is consistent with the City's population has been raised a number of times in recent years due to the frustration and concern of citizens regarding public safety.
While I presented this issue at a recent Charter Amendment Committee, I do not believe this Council and City can wait to address this important issue until a Charter Amendment is placed on the ballot, approved by the voters and enacted into law in light of the recent sexual assaults, shootings, robberies and hate crimes that have occurred recently in several parts of our City.
The number of police officers continues to be a major issue that has not been dealt with. Proposals have been bantered about in recent campaigns that support an increase of 100 t...
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