The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
HB 2004-05 Budget HB 2002-03 CAFR Budget 3/23/04 Agenda Letter
The following letter was submitted for written communications for:
The Hermosa Beach City Council meeting on March 23, 2004.
To: Michael Lavin March 10, 2004
Chief of Police
Hermosa Beach, CA
From: Alan Benson
1924 Monterey
Hermosa Beach, CA
Re: Hermosa Beach Crime Statistics
CC: Steve Burrell
Hermosa Beach City Manager
Greetings Chief Lavin,
Many thanks for sending out the information packet I requested regarding the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission's review of the Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria CUP's at the upcoming meeting on March 16, 2004.
I plan on speaking at the public hearing along with other Hermosa Beach residents at the March 16 meeting. I have talked with a number of Hermosa Beach residents about the CUP review for Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria concerning the disturbance calls on Pier Plaza.
One of the problems I have in talking about the "disturbance calls" with some Hermosa residents is that they are not aware of the potential danger that our HBPD officers face when they respond to such a call.
Another problem is trying to get across the number of times that these "disturbance calls" lead to dangerous physical confrontations that involve intoxicated bar patrons and HBPD officers on Pier Plaza.
I am aware and I sure you know that a large percentage of shootings of police officers involve the attackers taking and using the police officers own weapon. And I am not suggesting that our HBPD officers are not properly trained in the use of their weapons.
I am very concerned about the number of occasions I have read about where our HBPD officers are assaulted by attackers using thrown tables, automobiles and of course hand to hand combat in the downtown area of Hermosa Beach. I can only imagine the number and variety of weapons that the HBPD has taken from persons arrested in the downtown area.
In my discussions with Hermosa residents about these problems, some of the responses I have gotten are:
"Are these disturbance calls really that bad? And, Do you really think anything is going to change?
Another is, "it has always been like this in Hermosa, get used to it..." and "this not a big problem, tell the whiner's to move."
And, Its Sharkeez and Sangria, huh so these are, the only places, where people get drunk downtown?
I understand where these points of views come from. Most Hermosa residents are not aware of, and do not have to deal with the problems and concerns that you have in leading the HBPD.
Unless there is convincing evidence to the contrary, most people feel that things are going just fine as is, and they are not aware of any compelling reason to change.
I think it would helpful for me and other Hermosa Beach residents to look at the overall crime statistics in Hermosa Beach compared to the crime statistics that take place the downtown area of Hermosa Beach, not just the Pier Plaza.
I am interested in getting the up to date crime statistics for Hermosa Beach.
On March 19, 2002 you faxed me two spreadsheets of the crime totals for Hermosa Beach.
One of the spreadsheets was titled:
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Activity Report for 1995 - 2001
The sub-categories in the spreadsheet were:
Offenses Reported - Murder, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle Theft, DUI, All Other Offenses and Disturbance Calls.
Persons Arrested - Adults, Juveniles, And Criminal Citations.
Traffic Report - Accidents - Fatal, Injury, Property Damage Only, Citations, Traffic
Police Calls for Service - Total Calls
1. Could I have this spreadsheet e-mailed or faxed to me, with the same crime statistics for all of Hermosa Beach, updated for the years 1995 to 2003?
If it is a problem to put all these years together, 1995 to 2003, then above crime statistic totals for only years 2002 and 2003 will work.
2. Similar to the above request, I want the same Hermosa Beach crime statistic totals for the downtown area only, for the same years 1995 to 2003.
Offenses Reported - Murder, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle Theft, DUI, All Other Offenses and Disturbance Calls.
Persons Arrested - Adults, Juveniles, And Criminal Citations.
Traffic Report - Accidents - Fatal, Injury, Property Damage Only, Citations, Traffic
Police Calls for Service - Total Calls
I understand that the Hermosa Beach downtown area that you use is between 10th and 16th Streets and from The Strand to Palm Dr. and a small section of Manhattan Ave. from Pier Ave. to 14th Street.
I am assuming that calling up these crime statistics will be a basic computer search that asks for these crime statistics for the downtown area only as part of the search. And I also assume that this will not be very time consuming to create such a report.
If the downtown area only, statistics is a problem to produce, then reduce the years to include 1999 to 2003, for the downtown area for these crime statistics:
Offenses Reported - Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle Theft, DUI, All Other Offenses, Disturbance Calls and the Total Calls for Service.
In your February 17, 2004 letter to Sol Blumenfeld that you sent to me. The subject of the letter was:
Request CUP Review by the Planning Commission of Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria.
In that letter you have the following statement:
The police department has had to increase the amount of enforcement activity on the Hermosa Plaza to keep a lid on the crowds and the associated public disturbances, assaults and public intoxication that have become very common place each evening between the hours of 10:00 PM and 2:30 AM. The police department is staffing nightly foot patrols on the plaza each evening with the exception on Monday nights. There are additional foot patrols on the weekend nights. There are additional foot patrols on the weekend nights.
All of this activity is paid through overtime and is costing the City several hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. This activity on the Plaza has also been a source of numerous personnel complaints against officers, claims against the City, lawsuits and injuries to officers. All of these activities have associated costs as well.
In presenting the case before the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission, it will be very helpful for me and other Hermosa Beach residents to have the following statistics that relate to your comments from the previous paragraph:
A. What are the approximate yearly costs of the nightly HBPD patrols of Pier Plaza? Is it possible to have these costs going back for the past 5 years?
B. How many total complaints or legal claims have been filed against the City of Hermosa Beach regarding the Pier Plaza area for the past 5 years? Including all types of claims and the approximate costs involved with addressing the claims.
C. How many HBPD officers have been assaulted, injured or have been put on disability because of actions the HBPD officers have involved in on Pier Plaza, in the past 5 years. How many convicted felons have been arrested on Pier Plaza, in the past 5 years?
D. How many weapons and what type of weapons are confiscated from people arrested on Pier Plaza in the past 5 years? How many arrests for illegal drugs and what types of drugs are confiscated from people arrested on Pier Plaza in the past 5 years? Are these problems staying about the same or getting worse?
E. How big of a factor does the over-consumption of alcohol play in causing these "disturbance calls"? Is there a certain profile or type of person that causes the most problems for the HBPD regarding these "disturbance calls"?
I think it is also important to assess the future risk of serious injuries, permanent disabilities and the real possibility of fatalities to HBPD officers as a result of these alcohol related "disturbance calls" in the Hermosa Beach downtown area and Pier Plaza.
Can the overall number of these "disturbance calls" be greatly reduced in order to make Hermosa Beach safer and to significantly reduce the number of times that HBPD officers have to put their lives at risk.
This is the rhetorical question that I want to put before the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission and City Council.
But first we have to present the facts for why things need to change. Currently, the residents of Hermosa Beach are largely not aware that these problems need attention.
I realize that my request for these crime statistics may not be able to be produced before the planning commission meeting on March 16, 2004. I do think that this information is important for this debate and it is very likely that the debate will go well beyond the March 16 meeting.
All of these statistics that I am asking for will help me and other residents to present an effective case before the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission and if needed the Hermosa Beach City Council.
Thank you,
Alan Benson
To: Hermosa Beach City Council Members and City Manager
I did receive the HBPD Activity Report for 1995 to 2002 from HBPD Chief Lavin and the Quarterly Activity Report for Calendar Year 2003.
In an e-mail I received from HBPD Chief Lavin, he stated the information I requested in my letter; items labeled A, B, C, D and E was not readily available or in some cases the information was not broken down for the downtown area only.
I would like The Hermosa Beach City Council and City Manager to consider if some of the information I requested in items A, B, C, D and E can be made available.
Thank you,
Alan Benson
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Office of the Chief of Police
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
TO: Sol Blumenfeld, Director of Community Development
FROM: Michael Lavin, Chief of Police
SUBEJCT: Request CUP Review by the Planning Commission of Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria
For the past several years the City of Hermosa Beach has enjoyed a very popular downtown area. In particular, the Hermosa nightlife has become very popular and several thousand patrons frequent the downtown nightclubs especially on the weekend nights.
The police department has had to increase the amount of enforcement activity on the Hermosa Plaza to keep a lid on the crowds and the associated public disturbances, assaults and public intoxication that have become very common place each evening between the hours of 10:00 PM and 2:30 AM. The police department is staffing nightly foot patrols on the plaza each evening with the exception on Monday nights. There are additional foot patrols on the weekend nights. There are additional foot patrols on the weekend nights.
All of this activity is paid through overtime and is costing the City several hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. This activity on the Plaza has also been a source of numerous personnel complaints against officers, claims against the City, lawsuits and injuries to officers. All of these activities have associated costs as well.
In reviewing the call logs of various downtown businesses, it is obvious that Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria create a lot of business for the police department.
Attached to this memorandum is a report dated November 5, 2002 addressed to the City Manager Stephen Burrell. In that report, staff tabulated the number of calls associated with each of the listed businesses that specifically dealt with disturbances, assaults and public intoxication.
You will note that the two leaders at the time were Aloha Sharkeez and Sangria. We have complied additional data regarding the downtown establishments to provide an update of recent activity levels.
However, I have combined all three categories of calls relating to assaults and public intoxication with all disturbances. In essence, all these categories of all calls are in reality disturbances.
The call history period is from December 1, 2002 until approximately January 10, 2004.
Business Address Disturbance calls
Pitcher House 142 PCH 17
Hermosa Yacht Club 66 Hermosa Ave. 3
Barnicles 837 Hermosa Ave. 5
Poop Deck 1272 The Strand 2
Point 705 705 Pier Ave. 10
Hermosa Saloon 211 PCH 16
North End Bar 2626 Hermosa Ave. 13
Mermaid 11 Pier Ave. ` 5
Patrick Malloys 50 Pier Ave. 1
Sharks Cove 1220 Hermosa Ave. 6
TJ Charliez 1332 Hermosa Ave. 13
Underground 1334 Hermosa Ave. 33
Hennesseys 8 Pier Ave. 11
Cafι Boogaloo 1238 Hermosa Ave. 3
The Lighthouse 30 Pier Ave. 45
Sangria 68 Pier Ave. 83
Aloha Sharkeez 52 Pier Ave. 71
I respectfully request that the Planning Commission review the conditional use permits to Sangria and Aloha Sharkeez.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Lavin, Chief of Police
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Hermosa Beach Crime Statistics - comparing years 1998 to 2003 and
1995 thru 2002 Hermosa Beach Crime Totals - Eight year average
The Hermosa Beach crime statistics came from the:
HBPD Activity Report For 1995 to 2002 and the
HBPD Quarterly Activity Report Calendar Year 2003
The Manhattan Beach crime statistics are available on the:
MBPD website: http://www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us/police/
From the MBPD home page: Annual Report 2003 and Annual Report 2002
1. Hermosa Beach Rape / Sex Crimes
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Rape 8 6 6 9 15 11
The 2003 Rape total of 11 was 1.37 times higher than the 1998 Rape total of 8.
8/11 = 1.3750 8 x 1.3750 = 11 Rape
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach Rape / Sex Crimes - Eight year average - 7 Rapes
2. Hermosa Beach All Assaults; Aggravated and Simple
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Assaults 77 119 97 141 131 140
The 2003 Assault total of 140 was 1.81 times higher than the 1998 Assault total of 77.
77/140 = 1.8181 77 assaults x 1.8181 = 139.99 or 140 Assaults
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach All Assaults - Eight year average - 110 Assaults
3. Hermosa Beach - Burglary
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Burglary 113 118 145 104 118 143
The 2003 Burglary total of 143 was 1.26 times higher than the 1998 Burglary total of 113.
113/143 = 1.2654 113 x 1.2654 = 143 Burglaries
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach Burglary - Eight year average - 161 Burglaries
4. Hermosa Beach DUI; Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Total DUI 150 203 152 170 214 285
The 2003 DUI total of 285 was 1.90 times higher than the 1998 DUI total of 150.
150/285 = 1.900 150 DUI x 1.900 = 285 DUI
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach DUI - Eight year average - 203 DUI
5. Hermosa Beach - Adults Arrested
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Arrests / yr 608 680 616 846 1012 1315
Per Month 51 57 51 71 84 110
The 2003 Adults Arrested total of 1315 was 2.16 times higher than the 1998 Adults Arrested of 608.
608/1315 = 2.1628 608 arrests x 2.1628 = 1314.98 or 1315 Adult arrests
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach Adults Arrested - Eight year average - 772 Arrests
6. Hermosa Beach Criminal Citations / Misdemeanors
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Citations / yr 562 613 545 668 943 989
Per Month 47 51 45 56 79 82
The 2003 Criminal Citations total of 989 was 1.75 times higher than the 1998 Citation total of 562.
562/989 = 1.7597 562 x 1.7597 = 989 Criminal Citations
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach Criminal Citations - Eight year average - 715 Citations
7. Hermosa Beach - Police Department Calls for Service
Calls for service include those called in by citizens as well as self-initiated by police officers.
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Calls a Year 19,951 21,378 25,147 32,422 28,728 32,241
Calls a Day 55 59 69 89 79 88
Calls a Month 1,663 1,782 2,096 2,702 2,394 2,687
The 2003 Calls for Service total of 32,241 was 1.61 times higher the 1998 Calls for Service of 19,951.
19,951 / 32,241 = 1.6160 19,951 calls x 1.6160 = 32240.81 or 32,241 calls for service
1995 to 2002 Hermosa Beach Calls for Service - Eight year average - 25,064 Calls
Part 1 Crime Totals and Per Capita Crime Rates for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach for years 1998 thru 2003.
The Hermosa Beach population is 18,566 from the 2000 census. The Manhattan Beach population is 33,852 from the 2000 census. The year 2000 Manhattan Beach population of 33,852 is 1.8233 times larger than the year 2000 Hermosa Beach population of 18,566.
Total Rapes / Sex Crimes for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Rape / Sex Crimes
Hermosa Beach 8 6 6 9 15 11
Manhattan Beach 5 4 4 6 4 10
Rapes / Sex Crimes per capita for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
1998 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 8 rapes Manhattan Beach 5 rapes
Rape per capita was 2.91 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
1999 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 6 rapes Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape per capita was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2000 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 6 rapes Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape per capita was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2001 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 9 rapes Manhattan Beach 6 rapes
Rape per capita was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2002 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 15 rapes Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape per capita was 6.83 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2003 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 11 rapes Manhattan Beach 10 rapes
Rape per capita was 2.00 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
Total Assaults - Aggravated and Simple
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Assault totals
Hermosa Beach 77 119 97 141 131 140
Manhattan Beach 133 122 99 144 164 149
Per capita Assaults for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
1998 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 77 assaults Manhattan Beach 133 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.05 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
1999 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 119 assaults Manhattan Beach 122 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.77 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2000 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 97 assaults Manhattan Beach 99 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.78 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2001 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 141 assaults Manhattan Beach 144 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.78 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2002 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 131 assaults Manhattan Beach 164 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.45 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2003 Totals --- Hermosa Beach 140 assaults Manhattan Beach 149 assaults
Assault per capita was 1.71 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
Total Persons Arrested for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
Includes all Persons Arrested / Booked; Adult and Juvenile
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
All Arrests
Hermosa 624 692 629 873 1,027 1,343
Manhattan 1,487 1,210 1,393 1,092 1,043 981
All Arrests per capita for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
1998 All Arrests Hermosa Beach - 624 Arrests Manhattan Beach 1,487 Arrests
All Arrests per capita in Hermosa Beach was .76 of arrests per capita in Manhattan Beach.
1999 All Arrests Hermosa Beach - 692 Arrests Manhattan Beach 1,210 Arrests
All Arrests per capita was 1.04 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2000 All Arrests Hermosa Beach - 629 Arrests Manhattan Beach 1,393 Arrests
All Arrests per capita in Hermosa Beach was .82 of arrests per capita in Manhattan Beach.
2001 All Arrests Hermosa Beach - 873 Arrests Manhattan Beach 1,092 Arrests
All Arrests per capita was 1.45 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2002 All Arrests Hermosa Beach 1,027 Arrests Manhattan Beach 1,043 Arrests
All Arrests per capita was 1.79 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2003 All Arrests Hermosa Beach 1,343 Arrests Manhattan Beach 981 Arrests
All Arrests per capita was 2.49 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
Total Calls for Service for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
Calls for service include those called in by citizens as well as self-initiated by police officers.
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Total Calls
Hermosa 19,951 21,378 25,147 32,422 28,728 32,241
Manhattan 20,766 21,142 27,039 19,975 20,369 21,413
Calls for Service per capita for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
1998 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 19,951 Calls Manhattan Beach - 20,766 Calls
Per capita Calls for Service was 1.75 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
1999 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 21,378 Calls Manhattan Beach 21,142 Calls
Per capita Calls for Service was 1.84 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
2000 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 25,147 Calls Manhattan Beach 27,039 Calls
Per capita Calls for Service was 1.69 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
2001 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 32,422 Calls Manhattan Beach 19,975 Calls
Per capita Calls for Service was 2.95 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
2002 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 28,728 Calls Manhattan Beach 20,369 Calls
Per capita calls for service was 2.57 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
2003 Calls for Service Hermosa Beach - 32,241 Calls Manhattan Beach 21,413 Calls
Per capita Calls for Service was 2.74 times higher in Hermosa Beach than Manhattan Beach.
These per capita crime statistics for Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach for years 1998 thru 2003 were arrived at by:
Hermosa
Beach population from the 2000 census -18,566
Manhattan Beach population from the 2000 census -33,852
Population per capita ratio How much larger is Manhattan Beach than Hermosa Beach?
Manhattan Bch. pop. 33,852 Divided by Hermosa Bch. pop. 18,566 = 1.8233 the Per Capita ratio
The Manhattan Beach population of 33,852 is 1.8233 times larger than Hermosa Beach population of 18,566.
Hermosa Beach per capita ratio of 1.8233 multiplied by the Hermosa Beach total rapes per year.
Rape 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Hermosa Beach 6 6 9 15 11
Multiplied by 1.8233
Equals 10.939 10.939 16.409 27.349 20.056
Manhattan Beach total rapes per year divided by Hermosa Beach per capita total rapes per year.
Rape 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Manhattan Beach 4 4 6 4 10
Manhattan Beach total rapes per year divided by Hermosa Beach per capita ratio per year.
10.939 / 4 10.939 / 4 16.409 / 6 27.349 / 4 20.056 / 10
Equals how many times? 2.734 2.734 2.734 6.837 2.005
Manhattan Beach total rapes per year divided by Hermosa Beach per capita ratio per year.
Rape per capita
How many times higher are the total rapes per year in Hermosa Beach per capita than in Manhattan Beach?
Rape 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Hermosa Bch times
higher than Man. Bch 2.73 2.73 2.73 6.83 2.00
1999
Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 6 rapes
Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape
per capita in 1999 was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in
Manhattan Beach.
2000 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 6 rapes Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape per capita in 2000 was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2001 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 9 rapes Manhattan Beach 6 rapes
Rape per capita in 2001 was 2.73 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2002 Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 15 rapes Manhattan Beach 4 rapes
Rape per capita in 2002 was 6.83 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
2003
Rape Totals Hermosa Beach 11 rapes
Manhattan Beach 10 rapes
Rape per capita in 2003 was 2.00 times higher in Hermosa Beach than in Manhattan Beach.
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Office of the Chief of Police
Tuesday, April 16, 2002
To: The Honorable Mayor and Members of The Hermosa Beach City Council
For: The April 23, 2002 Regular meeting of The Hermosa Beach City Council
Statistical Report of Crimes and Police Activity for 2001
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Background and Analysis:
With an increase in the number of reported assaults for the calendar year of 2001, an analysis has been done in regards to the types of assaults that occurred. During 2001, the police department reported 141 assaults on its year end statistical report. However, after extracting the individual reports from the computer system, there were only 132 assaults that could be accounted for, during 2001. During the course of the year, reports are sometimes modified or reclassified for a variety of reasons that would have reduced this number.
It should also be noted that assaults are classified into two major categories, aggravated and simple. Aggravated assaults simply put, describe assaults where a deadly weapons was used, (gun, knife, bat, etc.), or where hands, fists, or feet are used resulting in an aggravated injury. Simple assaults are classified as a battery that has taken place yet there are not significant injuries or no injuries have occurred. It has been the policy of the Hermosa Beach Police Department to report all assaults. We have learned that it is the policy of some surrounding police agencies to only report aggravated assaults. Domestic violence assaults are also classified within these numbers along with assaults on police officers and these categories are broken apart from regular assaults. The breakdown of assaults is as follows:
42 Domestic Violence assaults
17 Aggravated assaults
25 Simple assaults
37 Simple assaults (no injury to minor injury)
48 Aggravated assaults
4 Aggravated assaults on Police Officers
1 Simple assault on a Police Officer
132 Total Assaults
Domestic Violence accounts for 32% of all of the assaults for 2001. A total of 53 assaults (40% of the total) were reported in the downtown area. Of these 53 assaults, 4 were domestic violence assaults and 4 were assaults on our police officers. There were 17 simple assaults and 28 aggravated assaults.
Calls for service for the downtown area were also examined. In the computer, the downtown area is between 10th Street to 16th Street and from The Strand to Palm Dr. including a small section of Manhattan Avenue from Pier Avenue to 14th Street.
Calls for service includes those called in by citizens as well as self-initiated by police officers. These totals do not reflect all activity in the downtown area. For example, these numbers do not reflect burglary reports, traffic accidents, etc. , which occurred in the downtown area. The categories listed are the types of call that were searched.
Calls for Service categories Downtown Citywide Total
Calls regarding fighting and assaults 65 159
Calls regarding a reported rape 5 19
Disturbance calls 998 3074
Family disturbance calls 12 154
Disturbance calls regarding loud parties 26 633
Drunk and disorderly calls 60 196
Totals - Calls for Service categories 1166 4235
In the first two categories, a call regarding a fight or a rape did not necessarily mean that an assault or rape took place, or that a report was even taken. Some of these calls were probably officer initiated for example when officer come upon a fight in progress. Disturbance calls are not only a result of calling in but also include self-initiated calls by officers. With the numbers of officers assigned to the downtown foot patrol beats with the mission of being proactive, it should be understandable that a number of calls would be self-initiated by them.
As a point of reference, there were a total of 32,322 calls for service citywide during the year 2001. The 1166 calls illustrated above represents only 3.6% of this call volume.
Foot patrols in the downtown area will continue not only on the weekend nights but will now be expanded to Thursday and Sunday evenings as well. Staff feels that the presence of foot patrols over the past few years has in fact reduced the number of assaults and other related crimes in the downtown area that would have occurred if the patrols had not been deployed. The police department will also continue to organize special details to focus enforcement efforts on crime problems citywide.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Lavin, Chief of Police Stephen Burrell
Hermosa Beach Police Department City Manager
The following Hermosa Beach crime statistics are from the above letter titled:
Statistical Report of Crimes and Police Activity for 2001
Calls for Service in the Hermosa Beach downtown area compared to citywide Calls for Service in year 2001.
Hermosa Beach 2001
Calls for Service categories Downtown Citywide Total
1. Calls regarding fighting and assaults 65 159
65 / 159 = .4088
In 2001, the downtown area total of 65 calls for fighting and assaults makes up 40 percent of the Hermosa Beach citywide total of 159 fighting and assault calls.
2. Calls regarding a reported rape 5 19
5 / 19 = .2631
In 2001, the downtown area total of 5 calls for reported a rape makes up 26 percent of the Hermosa Beach citywide total of 19 reported rape calls.
3. Disturbance calls 998 3074
998 / 3074 = .3246
In 2001, the downtown area total of 998 disturbance calls makes up 32 percent of the Hermosa Beach citywide total of 3074 disturbance calls.
4. Drunk and disorderly calls 60 196
60 / 196 = .3061
In 2001, the downtown area total of 60 drunk and disorderly calls makes up 30 percent of the Hermosa Beach citywide total of 196 drunk and disorderly calls.
The following paragraph regarding assault crime statistics is also from the above letter titled:
Statistical Report of Crimes and Police Activity for 2001
By HBPD Chief of Police Michael Lavin
The following is the second paragraph from this letter:
It should also be noted that assaults are classified into two major categories, aggravated and simple. Aggravated assaults simply put, describe assaults where a deadly weapons was used, (gun, knife, bat, etc.), or where hands, fists, or feet are used resulting in an aggravated injury. Simple assaults are classified as a battery that has taken place yet there are not significant injuries or no injuries have occurred. It has been the policy of the Hermosa Beach Police Department to report all assaults. We have learned that it is the policy of some surrounding police agencies to only report aggravated assaults. Domestic violence assaults are also classified within these numbers along with assaults on police officers and these categories are broken apart from regular assaults.
Regarding the sentence that is in bold:
It has been the policy of the Hermosa Beach Police Department to report all assaults. We have learned that it is the policy of some surrounding police agencies to only report aggravated assaults.
This previous sentence in bold, has major implications on all crime statistic totals that are used in newspapers, broadcast media and for all city governments that use reported crime statistic information to make decisions.
Both Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach have records for all aggravated and simple assaults.
But Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach do not report simple assaults as part of the assault totals that they give to the reporting agency that compiles the California Crime Index.
Hermosa Beach does report all aggravated and simple assaults for its assault totals.
Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach only report aggravated assaults for the total for assaults to be reported to the California Crime Index.
Simple assault totals are almost always more numerous than aggravated assault totals. The action of not reporting simple assaults in reported crime totals will significantly reduce the amount of crime that is reported to a reporting agency that compiles crime statistics.
The Redondo Beach crime statistics are available on the:
RBPD website: http://www.redondo.org/depts/police/crime/crime_statistics.asp
2002-2003 Crime Statistics City-Wide and
The Redondo Beach Police Archive 1991 to 2003 at:
http://www.redondo.org/depts/police/crime/crime_statistics_archive.asp
Redondo Beach
Yearly Reported Assault Totals
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
222 230 221 227 251 189 139 107 82 113 116 119 117
The Redondo Beach Police Department website does state that the 2002 assaults of 119 and the 2003 assault total of 117 are for aggravated assaults only.
In 1995, Redondo Beach reported a total of 251 assaults. By 1999, the reported assaults in Redondo Beach dropped to a total of only 82. This is a drop of more than 67 percent. No other Part 1 crime total in Redondo Beach came close to showing such a dramatic reduction between years 1995 and 1999.
This reduction in the number of assaults in Redondo Beach occurred within the 1993 to 2003 time period that is used in the March 13, 2004 The Daily Breeze front page news story titled:
Crime rate dips to 10-year low - SOUTH BAY: Former Secretary of State Jones says the three-strikes law is the reason for the decline, but others call it part of a general trend.
The attachment is this e-mail is the crime statistics graphic used for March 13, 2004 The Daily Breeze news story. The graphic includes crime statistics for South Bay cities and it is titled: 1993-2003: How statistics have fallen
All the South Bay crime statistics in this news story are of little value, unless it can be confirmed what cities are reporting only aggravated assault totals and what cities are reporting aggravated and simple assaults for the assault crime totals.
Another key point is; what year were the simple assault totals excluded as part of the reported assault totals.
There is another problem with these reported crime statistics for burglary. Hermosa Beach reports the burglary totals that include all residential, commercial and automobile burglaries. Manhattan Beach does not include automobile burglary in the reported burglary totals.
Manhattan Beach reports only Residential and Commercial burglary for the burglary totals. The Manhattan Beach automobile burglary totals are included as part of the theft or larceny totals.
The larceny totals were not used in The Daily Breeze March 13, 2004 crime rate news story. This fact provides more of a reduction in the crime statistics.
The Daily Breeze news story used the totals for serious crimes from the California Crime Index which measures homicide, rape, assault, burglary and auto theft, not larceny.
The crime totals used in The Daily Breeze news story are not of any value unless each city has the same reporting standards for each crime total for all of the ten years from 1993 to 2003.
The Daily Breeze March 13, 2004
Crime rate dips to 10-year low
SOUTH BAY: Former Secretary of State Jones says the three-strikes law is the reason for the decline, but others call it part of a general trend.
By Larry Altman Daily Breeze
The number of major crimes in the South Bay and Harbor Area dropped to its lowest level in 10 years in 2003, prompting proponents of the "three strikes, you're out" law to take credit for the decline.
Overall, the region is down 44 percent in major crime from where it was a decade ago, the same time the three-strikes law went into effect. That's more than 14,000 fewer homicides, rapes, robberies, auto thefts, burglaries and assaults -- the felonies used by Justice Department officials to measure crime rates in the state's cities.
"As we look back at this anniversary, there are tens of thousands of fewer crime victims and thousands of individuals alive today due to this vital law," former Secretary of State Bill Jones said in a statement. "The statistics tell the story. All crime is down in California, particularly violent crime." Others, however, believe the 10-year decline is a result of a better economy that began in the mid-1990s.
Other states without the law also have seen dramatic declines, said Robert Parker of the Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at the University of California, Riverside. "Most people who analyze the criminal justice system carefully find that three strikes has had very little impact," Parker said. "One obvious question is 'If three strikes is having such an impact, why has it gone down in other states?' "
A compilation of crime numbers that local police agencies sent to the state Department of Justice, and that were collected by the Daily Breeze, show that the region dropped 6.2 percent in major crime in 2003 over the previous year. The decline eradicated a slight bump up in 2002.
Although their overall crime numbers remain low, the news was not good for every city, however. Recording increases in 2003 from a year earlier were El Segundo, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance.
Down were Carson, Gardena, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates and the Harbor Area, which includes San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor Gateway and Harbor City.
The statistics show:
Of the cities with increases, El Segundo topped the list with the largest rise -- 16.3 percent.
Hawthorne, with the most crimes of any South Bay municipality, recorded a nearly 5 percent increase from 2002. Sharp jumps in homicide and assaults overtook declines in each of the other crime categories in the city.
Of the six major crime categories, homicide was the one to rise in the South Bay as a whole, primarily because of Hawthorne's 140 per-cent increase with 12 murders, which were tied to gang activity.
Lawndale led the South Bay with an 18.5 percent decline.
The Harbor Division was down nearly 14 percent. The Los Angeles Police Department said officers are working in a better environment under Chief William Bratton and no longer fear getting into trouble as they work to battle criminals as they did under former Police Chief Bernard Parks.
Torrance crime was up 3.7 percent in 2003, primarily because of a rise in burglary and auto theft.
The cities with increases mirror what is happening throughout the state. Last October, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer released findings that during the first six months of 2003, crime actually went up just under 1 percent in the state's most populous cities.
Homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults dropped statewide, but burglary and motor vehicle theft increased. Nine South Bay cities showed increases in auto theft and six went up in burglary, similar to the state.
But the overall number showing the lowest rate of major crime in the South Bay in a decade was good news for proponents of the three-strikes law, which voters passed to put habitual criminals away for lengthy periods of time.
Wayne Strumpfer, deputy director of the California District Attorneys Association, which represents 58 district attorneys in the state, said the "lowering of the crime rate is connected to three strikes and all of the other tough sentences" approved by the Legislature in recent years. "It is counterintuitive to think three strikes doesn't have anything to do with the lowering of crime," Strumpfer said.
Parker, however, said the economy that was robust through the latter part of the 1990s should get the primary credit. "The whole country had a crime drop in the '90s, in some cases higher than California," Parker said. Parker said the drop "makes a nice story for (former Secretary of State Bill) Jones," who wrote the three-strikes law and is running for the U.S. Senate.
But, he said, he believes the law ensnares people who commit nonviolent crimes as their third strike. In Los Angeles County, however, District Attorney Steve Cooley does not file cases as third strikes unless they involve violent crime.
Locally, Los Angeles police Capt. Patrick Gannon said the crime drop in the Harbor Area can also be attributed to more aggressive police work under a new police chief who allows his officers to do their jobs. Officers say they previously had feared the complaint process under former Chief Parks. "There was a sense of fear that if they went out and did their job they would get into trouble and it would impact their career," Gannon said.
"(Chief) Bratton said, 'Go out and take care of crime, make arrests and engage the criminal element.' That's what the officers were looking for." The Harbor station's arrests were up 18 percent in 2003. A large percentage of the arrests were for drinking in public and vagrancy, which took people off the street who commit property crimes, Gannon said.
Capt. Rick Adams of the Lennox sheriff's station said Lawndale's large drop was aided with the arrest of suspects in a series of robberies, and tracking crimes by combining the efforts of patrol deputies and special assignment officers to make arrests. "I will always say some of it is just luck," Adams said. "There is a combination of good police work and luck."
March 4, 2004
Honorable Chairman and Members of the Regular Meeting of
Hermosa Beach Planning Commission March 16, 2004
SUBJECTS: REVIEW OF INCIDENT REPORTS FOR PIER PLAZA AND DOWNTOWN AREA
Recommendation:
That the Planning Commission receive and file this report.
Background:
On January 20, 2004, the Planning Commission conducted an annual review of downtown
conditional use permits and directed staff to provide police incidents reports for the
businesses. The incident reports were provided at the February 17, 2004 meeting and the
Commission reviewed the incident reports and a memorandum from the Police Chief. The
Planning Commission directed staff to set a hearing for review of two business conditional
use permits and further directed staff to have the code enforcement officer investigate whether
there were any code or CUP violations.
Analysis:
In response to the Commission direction, staff has reviewed the incident information again
and rather than proceeding at this time on a program to review two businesses, staff suggests a
broader approach to deal with area problems or concerns. This approach should focus on a
reduction of the number of police and fire response calls and ensure that the Downtown area
is not taking an undo amount of city resources. As you may be aware, from time to time staff
has met with representatives of all of the Pier Plaza and Downtown businesses to review
issues and concerns that have been expressed about the operation of businesses, general
activities and special events. These meetings have been an effective communication tool in
the past, and with active and continued participation by all concerned parties, staff is
confident that they can be an effective tool to deal with the present concerns. The task for
this group will be to come up an area wide approach and solutions that result in less need for
police response in the downtown. The group will include participation from area merchants
and staff and can be expanded to include others, should there be broader interest in
participating. Once the group has developed strategies and a consensus for dealing with area
concerns, staff will document the recommendations, which can be made available to the
Planning Commission and the City Council for review and possible response. Further actions
may include changes to conditional use permits or other parts of the Municipal Code.
This approach is being suggested as it is difficult to lay the blame at any one business in the
area. Hopefully, this will allow for a broad discussion of the problem and potential solutions.
____________________________ __________________________
Sol Blumenfeld, Director Mike Lavin,
Community Development Police Chief
___________________________
Russell Tingley,
Fire Chief
Concur:
_____________________________
Stephen R. Burrell,
City Manager