City leaders hope to empower ex-gang members, pastors and youth counselors in an effort to help quell a spate of violence over the past few weeks.
Since mid-June, Long Beach has experienced multiple shootings, stabbings and violent assaults, including a fatal shooting that erupted at a vigil in memory of a man who was killed in a different shooting the day before. In a separate part of town, a street vendor was violently attacked and robbed.
City officials on Tuesday will propose a Long Beach Violence Interruption strategy, which will use community leaders and organizations to come up with strategies for intervention in vulnerable communities.
“There’s a lot of tension in the community,” said Councilman Rex Richardson, who represents North Long Beach. “Now we go back to what we know—make connections with people in the neighborhood.”
While the sudden spike in violence does come as an unwanted surprise to some, the data shows that it’s something to be expected.
A study conducted from 2010 and 2012 found that the largest law enforcement agencies in the country, on average, experienced a nearly 10% increase for monthly crime between the months of June and August.
The same can be seen in Long Beach. Last year, residents experienced eight shootings in a span of 48 hours in crimes that took place across the city.
While summer activities and programs have been implemented in the past to keep the youth away from illicit activities, the COVID-19 pandemic has made that more challenging due to stay-at-home orders limiting interaction. The health crisis has also led to economic and employment challenges.
“We are dealing with a double whammy,” said Councilman Al Austin, who represents parts of North Long Beach and Bixby Knolls. “We have a pandemic that is altering our approach to governance.”
The City Council will discuss the new initiative at its meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday via teleconference.