TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager and City Prosecutor, or their designees, to execute all documents necessary, including any amendments, to receive and expend grant funding from Downtown Long Beach Alliance in the amount of $18,000, and increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund Group in the City Prosecutor Department by $18,000, offset by grant revenue.
DISCUSSION
In 2015, the City Prosecutor's Office and the Downtown Long Beach Associates (now named Downtown Long Beach Alliance, or "DLBA") initiated a pilot program for a Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor. This agenda item, if approved by the City Council, would provide for a continuation of the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor Program with services specifically focused on Downtown Long Beach.
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 court order violations, code enforcement, chronic truancy, 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 and loss of grant funding in 2007 and 2008, all community prosecution programs in Long Beach were eliminated.
The DLBA is a nonprofit organization serving the tenants and commercial and residential property owners located in the Downtown Long Beach Business Improv...
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