2:00am | Barely two full weeks into his position as Chief of the Long Beach Police Department, Jim McDonnell outlined his vision for the future at a Beer & Politics forum at Gallagher’s Pub on Tuesday night. McDonnell answered questions for about an hour and spoke about his plans to combat gang violence, increase community relations and provide quality service with a tightening budget.
McDonnell said he will seek to improve the community’s image by making residents feel as though “they’re a part of something bigger than themselves,” he said, adding that new technologies such as video surveillance and DNA techniques will be key to solving cases. He also acknowledged that pension reform is unavoidable in the current economic climate, and suggested that it be attempted on a statewide scale.
“We can overcome whatever storm is in our way and make this the safest big city in America,” he said. “My goal is to be able to raise the image of the department and be able to showcase the good things that are being done in Long Beach.”
McDonnell repeatedly addressed the issue of Long Beach’s image, claiming that the entertainment industry – namely, music and movies – have profited by selling their message in a way that has cost the city’s reputation.
McDonnell did not name specific artists or titles, but the city still carries a stigma from the gangsta rap era led by Long Beach native Snoop Doggy Dogg and others. McDonnell also criticized televisions shows and movies about police.
“The funny thing is, everybody’s an expert on policing,” he said.
The serious thing is, McDonnell is very much considered an expert on policing, heavily due to his role in pulling the Los Angeles Police Department from damning scandals of corruption and insensitivity in the early 2000’s. The groundwork he created nearly earned McDonnell the top LAPD job in 2002, and many were surprised that he was passed over for the position in late 2009. On Tuesday, McDonnell outlined some of his future plans for the Long Beach Police Department – variations on the ideas that made him a highly respected policing authority nationwide.
“I think a lot of the appeal of Long Beach is people have an identity, they have a passion for Long Beach,” he said. “We can work with that, to be able to get people to feel that, to be able to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.”
That community policing attitude was a major part of his effort to rebuild the LAPD and is similar to efforts made by former LBPD Chief Tony Batts. In a diverse community of vastly different communities such as Long Beach – with parts suffering from intense gang activity and violence – the strategy is a natural fit.
In the wake of recent shootings and a promise to crack down on curfew violations, McDonnell spoke strongly.
“The cancer of the region is gang violence,” he said, while suggesting that Long Beach residents are not outraged enough.
“Unfortunately we see [violence] so often and you read about it so often we’ve become numb to it, and we don’t have the sense of outrage that we should have,” McDonnell said. “It’s all about business as usual the day after an 11-year old kid is shot and almost killed; it doesn’t make a lot of sense when you think about it.”
Personally, I am particularly interested to hear thoughts from you, our readers, on this issue. Is there enough coverage of violence in Long Beach? Too much? Not enough?
McDonnell inferred that the local media too often focuses on negative news, estimating that 90% of Los Angeles Times articles about Long Beach involve violence.
In nearly the same breath, however, McDonnell called for increased community outrage over those same violent acts.
“We need to create that sense of outrage that’s managed in a productive way so that we get the excitement about trying to make the area better,” he said.
How better to do that than through news coverage? What do you think?
Officers will need considerable funding to have an impact on the entrenched culture of gang activity and violence in Long Beach, but McDonnell acknowledged that the department will have to learn to work with limited resources, and has taken great strides to reduce overtime.
“Pension reform is something that is unavoidable,” he said, but noted that reform could cost Long Beach in the way of recruitment if other cities do not do the same.
“We can do this on a statewide basis and the playing field becomes much more level.”
McDonnell also voiced his opposition to medical marijuana dispensaries, which he says are taking the Compassionate Use Act beyond its purpose of assisting the ill.
“Organized crime factions and people who are sending money to support terrorism are involved in this industry because there’s millions and millions of dollars available,” McDonnell said, adding that he is not in favor of legalization. “When you look at where the dope is coming from in many of our high schools, you can trace it back to one or two steps away from some of the dispensaries.
Ironically, a dispensary sits not two doors from where McDonnell spoke at Tuesday night’s event.
McDonnell also answered his fair share of light-hearted questions, revealing that Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster is “cooler” than Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
He also said that the department needs a full-time bomb squad and would benefit from a full-time SWAT team as well.
The Chief left the crowd with some helpful advice, as one questioner asked how McDonnell plans to help residents deal with rising fees for parking tickets.
“Don’t get one,” he said.