TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Prosecutor to execute all necessary documents to receive and expend grant funding from Downtown Long Beach Associates ("DLBA") in the amount of $18,000 for a period ending September 30, 2015; and increase appropriation in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) by $18,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach City Prosecutor handles all misdemeanor violations of state and local law arising within the City, including Downtown Long Beach. Among the crimes prosecuted by the City Prosecutor are petty theft, vandalism, drug possession, gang injunction violations, code enforcement, chronic truancy, and socalled quality of life crimes, such as drinking in public, camping in parks, trespass, loitering, and disorderly conduct.
From 2000-2009, the City Prosecutor's Office had various "Community Prosecution" programs designed to reduce crime in specific areas of the City that might benefit from special case handling. In general, the concept of Community Prosecution is complementary to Community Policing. Both Community Prosecution and Community Policing have been shown to empower residential groups wishing to reduce crime in their neighborhood, increase community awareness of crime trends, and help coordinate public safety responses to blighted properties. As a result of budget cuts over the past several years, all community prosecution programs in Long Beach were eliminated.
The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) is a nonprofit organization serving the tenants and commercial and residential property owners located in the
Downtown Long Beach Business Improvement District. The DLBA serves an important role in the City by coordinating security in and cleaning up the Downtown area.
The City Prosecutor and DLBA have been in discussions for the past several months about how to bring a community prosecution program to Downtown Long Beach. Further exchange of ideas between the City Prosecutor's Of...
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