Signal Tribune Newspaper

After four consecutive years of reductions in the city’s crime rate, serious violent crime in the city of Long Beach remained essentially unchanged in 2007 and the murder rate declined 4.9 percent to 39, the lowest since 1974 when the city was home to 132,412 fewer residents. The auto theft rate also dropped to the lowest level since 1971, when the police department first began compiling crime statistics.
Overall, though, serious crime has increased 1.4 percent in 2007, compared to 2006 levels. Serious crime is defined by the department as homicide, rape, robbery, burglary and auto theft, and are reported to the State Bureau of Criminal Statistics. Less serious crimes such as prostitution and narcotics in the city of Long Beach increased 4.9 percent in 2007.
The police department has successfully held the line on violent crime and has achieved record lows in the murder rate. Although a fifth straight year of overall crime reduction was not achieved, effective enforcement strategies and relentless investigative follow-up have allowed the police department to remove numerous repeat offenders from the streets.
“We have made tremendous progress over the years, but the city of Long Beach and the police department are facing many economic and social challenges in the year ahead,” said Long Beach chief of police Anthony Batts. “To address these challenges, the police department will continue to utilize creative and innovative enforcement strategies and actively engage the community to impact crime at the neighborhood level.”
So far, 2008 statistics show a positive start to the new year. Serious crime is down 2.9 percent and less serious crime is down 13.9 percent with a total crime decrease of 7.7 percent for the month of January.