Long Beach : Change in Reporting Crime Statistics Recommended

City Manager James C. Hankla is recommending a change in the way Long Beach crime statistics are reported to the public and the City Council.

Hankla is calling for scrapping the current system of having the Police Department provide crime statistics for each council district on a quarterly basis. It would be replaced by periodic reports noting the crime problems in particular neighborhoods.

Hankla, who was asked by the council to suggest ways of changing the system, said in an interview that the new system would provide more timely information that would allow Neighborhood Watch groups and citizens to help be on the lookout against criminals. Also, he said the current system covers the large council districts and does not isolate problems to neighborhoods.

It is expected that some council members may oppose the plan. Councilman Warren Harwood, for example, said he is “somewhat suspicious” that the proposed change is a reaction to recent quarterly statistics that showed large jumps in crime in some council districts. The recommended system, he said, “would be very inefficient and we would lose our ability to oversee the effectiveness of public safety efforts.”

While Hankla calls for continuing to publish a citywide criminal statistical roundup, Harwood said it would not be enough to give the council and public a complete picture of the city’s crime problems.