Read below to learn about my practical plan to thoroughly reform the LBPD, and re-establish trust through transparency and accessibility.

Part 1: Shut Down the Police Officer’s Association’s money machine

The POA has become the major power broker in Long Beach by exploiting Citizens United related campaign finance loopholes. The POA has invested $860,000 in the last five years alone in campaigns for candidates and ballot measures, expected to create the conditions for better LBPD contracts and favorable PR. We will never see the kind of necessary reforms in the Police Department until we stop electing POA pawns into City Hall.

Part 2: Reaffirm the powers of the Citizen’s Police Complaint Commission

The CPCC has been defanged, and its status has been reduced from an independent watchdog to a mere suggestion commission that has no power to enforce decisions on alleged police misconduct. During the last 8 years, 80% of CPCC recommendations have been dismissed by the City Manager, and the allegation has been buried. This calls for a Charter amendment which makes CPCC report directly to the City Council, then CPCC findings are made public.

Part 3: End the LBPD Overtime Scam

The highest-paid City of Long Beach employee in 2018 was an LBPD Batallion Chief earning over $400,000. In 2019, 3 out of the 6 highest-paid employees were LBPD Batallion Chiefs earning around the same amount thanks to six-figure overtime incomes. The “old guard” of the LBPD refuses to hire enough new police officers for a full contingent so that they can justify exorbitant overtime salaries for Police Department employees who hog almost 50% of the general fund. It would actually be cheaper to hire new officers than to continue paying individuals $400k per year.

Part 4: Streamlining the LBPD

Just like in just about every other department in the City of Long Beach, the LBPD has been swallowed up by its own bureaucracy. Not only is this bureaucracy extremely expensive and wasteful, but it reduces the ability of the average citizen to access and interact with his or her Police Department. We need to hire an outside consultant to show us what the structure of a communicative Police Department looks like, point out where inefficiencies occur and have the LBPD decommission unnecessary management staff and adopt this new management structure.

Part 5: Restore Community Policing

The only way to restore trust and fairness to law enforcement in Long Beach is by bringing back Community Policing. Residents must feel that they are playing an integral role in the safety of their community, otherwise, we can’t help feel imposed upon. Community Policing means creating an honest relationship between the Police Department and the residents of Long Beach.

Blog posts

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News

07/02/20: How much has the Long Beach police union given to political campaigns? Find out using our database.

07/02/20: Elected officials count on police unions for financial support—can they still hold police accountable?

06/21/20: THE Sunday REVIEW: The Long Beach Citizen Police Complaint Commission starts changes

06/19/20: Breaking Down the LBPD Litigation Data

06/18/20: I am a White Officer With the LBPD

06/14/20: Protesters rally outside police union office as part of car caravan across Long Beach

06/12/20: LBPD Seeks Council Approval To Destroy LBPD Internal Affairs Records

06/06/20: “I am on the Citizen Police Complaint Commission… and the Commission is a farce”

06/06/20: PERSPECTIVE: LB Police Union has Given the Mayor $500K since 2015, Elected Officials Must Stop Taking Their Money

09/09/19: Cost Of Police-Related Litigation To The City Has Surged Since 2016

02/16/18: LBPD Brass Enable Alcohol Abuse, Stonewall the Fallout

08/03/17: International Association Assessing the Police Dept.