TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to explore the creation of the Long Beach Violence Interruption Strategy.
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach Violence Interruption Strategy which should include but not be limited to:
• A full analysis of community based best practice violence interruption strategies nationwide
• Direct outreach to neighborhood leaders in the most impacted communities
• Direct funding for community-based organizations with expertise in violence prevention and community engagement
• Coordination of a violence prevention strategy through existing engagement efforts including COVID-19 contact tracing and Census 2020 outreach
• Coordination and expansion of existing youth engagement strategies in the short, medium, and long-terms
• The Deployment of a Summer Youth Employment Program
Over the past week, Long Beach has experienced an uptick in the number of reported shooting as well as instances of violent crime across the city. This has resulted in at least five homicides, with three occurring in our North Patrol Division and two in our West patrol division. Initial indications from both the community and the Long Beach Police Department is that a majority of these incidents appear to have some level of gang involvement.
A spike in crime during summer months is typical in cities across the country, especially larger cities such as Long Beach. An analysis by "Governing" reviewed data of 384 of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country between 2010 and 2012 and found that on average monthly crime for seven major offense types increased nearly 10% between the months of June and August. In response to this nearly annual surge, cities have traditionally deployed community programing, such as summer teen and youth initiatives, with a focus on impacted neighborhoods to curb the impacts. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedent impacts both economically, with many residents losing or having significant reduction in employment, and socially, with strict limitations on gathering under the current Stay Home Order forcing significant changes to existing programing.
It is critical that Long Beach, given the current strain of city resources make investments in violence prevention to address our current spike. A study by American Sociological Review observed when looking at the impacts of local nonprofits and community partnerships on violent crime that "social cohesion mediates the relationship between neighborhood characteristics including neighborhood violence." In addition, investment and intentional strategies around youth engagement have been found to directly impact violent crime. For example, Boston's Summer Youth Employment Program, or SYEP, was found to have significantly decrease violent crime and improve the long-term trajectory of those engaged.
FISCAL IMPACT
Given the immediate nature of this issue, a fiscal analysis was not available.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
REX RICHARDSON
COUNCILMEMBER, NINTH DISTRICT
DEE ANDREWS
VICE MAYOR, SIXTH DISTRICT
ROBERTO URANGA
COUNCILMEMBER, SEVENTH DISTRICT
AL AUSTIN
COUNCILMEMBER, EIGHTH DISTRICT