West Division Leadership Forum: 10/28/2015

17th Street Clean Up: Gardenia to Walnut

There was an announced clean up of 17th Street. This clean up was supposed to run from Gardenia to Orange. Unfortunately, it was a little hot out, so we pack up at Walnut. We will get the rest of 17th Street before the week is out. 

Thanks to Carmen for the water and Bryan for the extra trash bags.

Next Saturday, we will be tackling 15th Street from Cherry to Junipero. Also, we are going to try to get more of Junipero based on what is showing up on the Crime Report's Map. Our 50th clean up in the MacArthur Park Neighborhood is approaching soon.

Sunday Safety Update 09/20/2015 - 09/27/2015

Disclaimer: Please note these maps are meant to show which direction crime is trending, areas to keep an extra eye on and places to remain vigilant in order for Central Long Beach residents to remain safe. That said, previous trends don't guarantee future trends will repeat in the same direction and patterns. Also, an absence of crime in one area, does not guarantee an absence in that same area later on. as well. 

09/20/2015 - 09/27/2015: Inside the MacArthur Park Neighborhood the map looks good. I am most concerned with what I see inside the AOC7, Cambodia Town East and the Zaferia Neighborhood to the east of Old Zaferia Way. First off, here's what the map shows. Within out neighborhood, the most concerning robbery trend starts at Anaheim and Junipero and seems to trend northeast and out of the neighborhood. What concerns me even more is the trend of car thefts, and thefts from vehicles heading southeast, right where that trend ends.

Normally, I would declare neighborhood expansion and start attacking the graffiti in Cambodia Town East where that activity is the worst, but the online version of Go Long Beach is broken since the last city website update. So far, every single district and the Mayor of Long Beach has not responded to the information that is website doesn't work. 

I have contacted every city agency I can think of, the website developer and posted on the Long Beach City Facebook Page.

Within the AOC7 there are some thefts and assaults clearly trending south west. There are a few burglaries to the west of that that seem to be trending the opposite direction. Keep a very close eye on the west end of the AOC7 and the Craftsman Historic District. This is right about where Lincoln Elementary is. There is no neighborhood association in this area. Also there was a fatal shooting in exactly this area about a month ago.

Within our neighborhood, there is no clear pattern and nothing is really clustering together. The "Q" was for a drug bust on the outskirts of MacArthur Park. There was also an isolated car theft at Anaheim and Alamitos. There is also one isolated robbery just north of Cherry and 15th. The map doesn't show this but there was tagging along Orange and Cherry Ave, after a long tagging hiatus. That tagging is a little harder to remove with Go Long Beach broken. 

The most obvious activity is along Junipero at the east end of the neighborhood. That said, it seems mostly to be trending away from the MacArthur Park Neighborhood. Finally, where you see that blue arrow, keep your bikes locked up. I will go into detail later, after passing the information on to law enforcement.

What Makes A Good Neighbor?

What makes a good neighbor? Here are some accomplishments that earned people this title on Next Door.

* One neighbor was able to petition the city to demolish an old, unsafe, abandoned apartment building. In its place, he created the Edgerton Community Garden.

^ Another neighbor saw his neighbor’s home on fire, he didn’t hesitate. He jumped into action, calling the Austin Fire Department and saving both his neighbors and their beloved home.

* A Florida neighborhood started a nonprofit called Neighbors Helping Neighbors, collecting usable furniture, household goods, and clothing for anyone who may need the items.

* While they are not on the list, I would like to throw an honorable mention to the AOC7, for hosting a literacy fair that got 10,000 books out to neighborhood kids in my own area.

^ A Tennessee neighbor was nominated for beautifying areas in their Sylvan Park neighborhood. He has planted new trees, plants and flowers for others to enjoy. He also waters, gardens and encourages other neighbors to join in.

* After a brutal attack in Oakland, CA a neighbor and his wife used Nextdoor to invite neighbors to a BBQ potluck. Nearly 100 neighbors showed up, and it was an opportunity for Nextdoor neighbors to strengthen bonds within the neighborhood.

There are about ten more stories on Next Door. I do encourage you to join as it's a great way to keep in touch with your neighbors.

To join: 

https://nextdoor.com/invite/uqgtkpbrkbpqenumrsnx

This full story: 

https://blog.nextdoor.com/2015/09/22/announcing-nextdoors-2015-good-neighbor-award-winners/

Clean Up: 09/26/2015: 17th Street from Gardenia to Orange

There will be a clean up in the MacArthur Park Neighborhood that will get trash off 17th Street. We will be starting at 17th and Gardenia and heading west. Clean ups occur virtually every Saturday at 10am. Volunteers are always welcome. This will be the third time we have cleaned 17th Street.

Rennovation Begins at MacArthur Park

The following post was from Jim Ruggirello at the Cultural Center of MacArthur Park on Next Door: "The long-awaited and much-needed renovation of the main building at MacArthur Park, the home of Homeland Cultural Center, will begin Monday, September 28. The entire building will be shut down for a week for asbestos abatement. During that time some classes will be held in the Manazar Gamboa Theater, others will be cancelled. After that, work will begin on the room that used to house the Mark Twain Library and most of our regular schedule will resume. The entire project, including work on the rest of the building, the playground, and the restrooms, should be complete by the end of the year."

At the 6th and 7th District Budget meeting earlier this year Andrews stated that there should be enough money left over to renovate the restrooms. Bare in mind, the entire budget for this project was provided by the state of California. The City of Long Beach is not contributing to the restoration of MacArthur Park. I would encourage all neighborhood residents to visit all nearby parks. It is very eye-opening to see how much money the city will invest in the neighborhoods where Central Long Beach residents do not live. Compare the civic center at Drake Park to the one at MacArthur Park. Compare the condition of the streets in Bellmont Heights to the conditions anywhere in Central Long Beach. What you will quickly learn, is for Central Long Beach it's a battle to get a pothole filled, a tree trimmed or a mattress picked up. In Bellmont Heights, the city will build what is nearly a billion dollar pool.

Chet's Auto on PCH Just Went Up For Sale

There is a new business for sale on PCH. For the last few years, it has been somewhat of an eye soar on PCH, never truly living up to its potential. That business is Chet's Auto, which could conveably be turned into a real gem, being situated right on the other side on LBCC West.

1520 PCH. Long Beach, CA 90813: This is an automotive use property. The list price on $1.4 million is for the land and business.  It's actually Chet's Auto: Poorly Maintained and, hopefully whoever buys it brings the place up to it's full potential. 

Don't get scared off by the neighborhood, read the Yelp Reviews to understand why the seller is so motivated.
A major reason the sales place may not be doing all that well is the signage. When looking for a mechanic, who looks for the giant teddy bear sign? The negative reviews on Yelp are not helping. They include calling their customers names, hanging up on their customers, unnecessary repairs and an inability to recognize the correct repair. The reviews alternate between one and five stars, averaging out around three.

That said, the negative reviews are really negative.

The auto repair shop is being sold for $1.4 million. Zillow does not list any information on the size of the lot or what is being sold with it. The seller simply states: 

 BRING ALL OFFERS - SELLER MOTIVATED!.

I think however, the right buyer, who recognizes the business's potential and knows how to build good customer relationships could turn it around. The business is situated between a U-Haul Station to the east and a Days In to the west. The west branch of the community college is across the street.
 

The Ready Long Beach Recap: 2015

Zombie Walk: Long Beach CERT demonstrates basic triage

C.E.R.T. stands for Community Emergency Response Team. It is a core group of volunteers trained by FEMA and the local Fire Department to help in disaster situations when police or fire get overwhelmed. We were trained in putting out small fires, light search and rescue and basic wound treatment.

During the first power failure CERT was activated to get water to seniors who were residing on the top floors of downtown high rises apartment complexes.

On 09/19/2015 CERT held it's annual Ready Long Beach fair. This is an event when police, fire, CERT volunteers, the Red Cross, Southern California Edison came together to help Long Beach prepare a little better for natural disasters that may be unavoidable. 

You can find a handout that spells out how to slowly prepare yourself over time entitled, 21 Weeks to Prepare, online at the Red Cross Website.

The event included two helicopters close up

At the event Southern California Edison shared things I did not know, for instance the main power lines are 4000 volts and are not insulated. I would never have guessed that something carrying so many volts would not be insulated.

At Ready Long Beach, the American Red Cross was on hand to teach. The Long Beach Police Volunteer Unit was on hand to share safety tips for seniors, general safety tips for the public and information on effective home safety alarms. CERT, had a stage to demonstrate basic triage techniques. 

In all, we conservatively estimate there were about 1500 people who attended the fair, and around 126 volunteers. In addition to all this the event featured food vendors, earth quake simulations and a bounce house in the shape of a sunken ship, just for the kids as well as a Sesame Street Puppet show to teach them basic disaster preparedness as well.

You can find a larger album of pictures at the MacArthur Park Neighborhood Page on Facebook.

Junipero Clean Up: Anaheim to 14th Street

There was a small announced clean up of Junipero from Anaheim to 14th Street. The picture to the side shows what was removed, and a few businesses we helped tidy up for. 

I might get the rest of Junipero this week, but I am not promising. Overall, Junipero south of 14th was already pretty clean, except for an abandoned business just north of an alleyway that has become overrun with old leaves. 

Normally, clean ups take place on Saturday at 10am. This one was Sunday at 8am to allow me to volunteer at CERT's Ready Long Beach in Heartwell Park. Next week we will be getting 17th street, and possibly we will be getting it all the way into the Poly District on the other side of Alamitos as a preemptive Neighborhood Expansion before the crime that appears to be clustering there gets out of hand.

Volunteers for clean ups are always welcome. The clean up schedule is here.

Sunday Safety Update: 09/13/2015 to 09/19/2015

Disclaimer: Please note these maps are meant to show which direction crime is trending, areas to keep an extra eye on and places to remain vigilant in order for Central Long Beach residents to remain safe. That said, previous trends don't guarantee future trends will repeat in the same direction and patterns. Also, an absence of crime in one area, does not guarantee an absence in that same area later on. as well. 

09/13/2015 - 09/18/2015: This map looks really good overall. There is a few things going on outside the neighborhood. There are some random scattered activity outside the neighborhood border. The most obvious is on the other side of Alamitos and 17th. Since there have been two shootings in this area, keep your eye open here, be safe and stay observant. There is a weak trend showing that activity trending north east.

A lot that the map does not show is also way down. The neighborhood is seeing less dumping, less tagging and less loitering in places where the loitering had gotten way out of hand. As a matter of fact, some tagging, that had been up for up to six months, because it was somewhat hard to get to, also came down this week.

At Walnut and Anaheim, there was a burglary and a theft. It appears that is also trending north east towards Cherry and 14th. There are also a string of vehicle related crimes that start around Stanley and 11th. This is in an area defined on Next Door as Cambodia Town East. They appear to be trending South East, but keep cars locked in the south east end of the MacArthur Park Neighborhood, that could change any time.

I am still working on creating an unsolved violent crimes page, so that no victim of a violent crime in this Central Long Beach becomes a statistic instead of a name.

In Long Beach itself, there have been no further shootings and violent crimes outside of our neighborhood since the last update. I am hoping for that trend to continue. Hopefully, we get a few more maps as empty of incident as this one in the weeks to come.

Long Beach Is Under A Tsunami Warning

A tsunami advisory has been issued for the coastline from Southern to Central California following an 8.3-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile, according the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The advisory included coastal areas from San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County to Ragged Point, about 50 miles north of San Luis Obispo.

"If you are located in this coastal area move off the beach and out of harbors and marinas," the NOAA said in its advisory.

 Full story...

Walnut Street Cleam Up: Recap

Sorry, no there are pictures this time. So north of 15th Street, I was able to clean Walnut with room to spare. I actually filled 75% of the bag with trash from the alley behind the U-Haul Station. Had I had a little room left over, I would have done an unscheduled clean up on the north side of Gaviota today. Unfortunately, south of 15th Walnut is pretty bad. South of 14th, next to the three large apartment complexes bordering the industrial businesses on Anaheim, on the east end of the street, I was able to fill a bag. Usually one bag can do half a street. One bag should have handled all of Walnut from 15th to Anaheim; it handled half of that. 

In other words, Walnut took four bags, and I still haven't finished the east end of 15th to 14th Street; I may finish that later in the week, but no promises. I did meet some neighbors who said they would like to be involved in future clean ups. Hopefully, they will follow through and we soon meet a lot more. Also, don't forget to take the pledge to keep your part of the MacArthur Park Neighborhood clean. It is your neighborhood after all. Next week, I have a clean up on Junipero scheduled. It may get rescheduled due to the Ready Long Beach Event, planned by CERT as I am on a list of potential volunteers.

Sunday Safety Update: 09/06/2015 to 09/12/2015

Disclaimer: Please note these maps are meant to show which direction crime is trending, areas to keep an extra eye on and places to remain vigilant in order for Central Long Beach residents to remain safe. That said, previous trends don't guarantee future trends will repeat in the same direction and patterns. Also, an absence of crime in one area, does not guarantee an absence in that same area later on. as well. 

09/02/2015 - 09/12/2015: This update shows a very scattered pattern. The only big pattern, which isn't clear above, is a lot was going on Wednesday 09/09/2015; this is the same day as the fatal shooting at 2100 Pasadena listed below. 

Starting with the map itself there is a robbery on the Whittier Elementary Campus, the next day there is a theft in the same area. This would have been at 17th and Walnut where kids and adults cross to the school. These incidents happened between 7:43am, when school starts and noon, likely when kindergarten lets out. Just remain very observant in the area. 

Beginning at Cherry and Anaheim there is a robbery leading up into assaults at either end of Cherry and the Spaulding alley as well as Cherry and 17th. The first is likely a dark alley at night, the second is where the smog check/ and a somewhat less than uninviting hotel is situated at the corner of PCH and Cherry. I would be very careful in either of those areas, at all times. That hotel does not screen their guests, and that alley is a little dark and claustrophobic for my tastes.

There is a single theft from a car by Rotary Centennial Park, I expected a lot more; maybe the How To Prevent Car Thefts post is helping. There also looks like there might be some more car thefts converging around MacArthur Park. I think they're probably trending from the AOC7 towards MacArthur Park, but there isn't quite enough information to predict a trend yet. 

There was an officer involved shooting on Thursday. Neither the officer nor the suspect was hurt. No additional information has been released since I first reported what happened. Oddly, that shooting does not even appear on the Crime Reports map. Everyone I know, is simply grateful that neither the suspect nor the officer were hurt. It would be nice to see a few more stories end that way.

There were two fatal shootings outside our neighborhood:

2100 Block of Pasadena Avenue. 09/09/2015: Officers responded to a shooting call around 12:41 a.m. in the 2100 block of Pasadena Avenue, police said. They found an adult man on a sidewalk suffering at least one gunshot wound to the upper body. An officer began life saving measures until Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived. Paramedics transported him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

400 Block of 5th Street: Officers were called around 9:51 p.m. to a shooting in the 400 block of West Fifth Street, according to information the Long Beach Police Department provided.
Officers found a male adult victim suffering gunshot wounds in the upper body, police said. Long Beach Fire Department paramedics responded and took the victim, in critical condition, to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

There was also a nonfatal shooting in the Wrigley area on Friday. A fatal shooting in the St. Mary's area, has resulted in an arrest. 

I am going to create a solved/ unsolved homicide page very soon. The goal is to keep the victims as names instead of statistics, I think that will make us a little more likely to keep perusing justice in their names. 

Walnut Street Clean Up: 09/12/2015 10am

This cleanup will be starting from the south side of the intersection, moving south towards Anaheim this time. Volunteers are always welcome. All clean up materials will be provided. The clean up schedule is here: 

http://macarthurparklbc.blogspot.com/p/events.html

Officer Involved Shooting Near MacArthur Park

I do not have all the details but I want my neighborhood to be aware of what happened today. I was driving home around 3:30pm when I saw the police cars, a lot of them, heading down PCH, then turn south on Alamitos. After a drive through the neighborhood, I realized a serious incident may have been centered somewhere around MacArthur Park. A man suspected of carrying a gun was arrested by Long Beach police at MacArthur Park Thursday afternoon following an officer-involved shooting according to authorities. Later reports added the suspect was not hit and officers were not injured. At the moment, the entire park is closed down as a crime scene, as is Anaheim from Orange to Walnut. I will update with more information as I learn it, here are the news stories I could find. 

UPDATED: http://www.lbreport.com/news/sep15/oisana.htm

http://lbpost.com/news/crime/2000007044-non-injury-officer-involved-shooting-causes-street-closure-in-cambodia-town-thursday-afternoon

http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20150910/long-beach-police-detain-man-near-macarthur-park-after-foot-chase-shooting

July to August: MacArthur Park Crime Totals

July Stats (MacArthur Park Neighborhood Only):

1. Theft from Vehicles (13 Total): No obvious pattern.
2. Theft of Vehicles (7 Total): Mostly clustering around Rotary Centennial Park. 
3. Property Crime (6 Total): They usually happen south of 15th Street, much like the assaults
4. Quality of Life (5 Total): Two at each park which are possession. The other is disorder.
5. Breaking & Entering (5 Total): Mostly clustering around Rotary Centennial Park.
6. Assaults (5 Total): They seem to follow 14th Street. Also around Rotary Centennial Park.
7. Robbery (4 total): Mostly clustering around Anaheim towards the park.
8. Theft (4 total): Depends greatly on how you define the neighborhood. No real pattern.
9. Homicide (1 Total): The 4th of July Homicide. Suspect in custody One unsolved outside the neighborhood.
10. Sexual Offense, Fire, Emergency, Proactive Policing Other (0 Total)

50 Total incidents

 August Stats (MacArthur Park Neighborhood Only):

1. Property Crime (9 Total): All west of Gardenia. Otherwise, no pattern/ up 30%.
2. Theft from Vehicles (8 Total): No obvious pattern. On other side of Old Zaferia Way this more than doubles. Down about 30%.
3. Assaults (6 Total): No pattern; even spread. Up 16%.
4. Theft (6 total): No real pattern. Up 33%.
5. Theft of Vehicles (4 Total): No obvious pattern. On other side of Old Zaferia Way this more than doubles. Down 42%.
6. Robbery (3 total): Be careful in the alley between Walnut and Gaviota. Down 25%.
7. Vehicle Recovery (2 Total): Anaheim and Walnut/ Stanton and 15th. Not recorded last month, but up 50%. 
8. Quality of Life (1 Total): Meth/ PCP at Cherry and PCH. Down 80%.
9. Breaking & Entering (0 Total): 100% improvement
10. Homicide (0 Total):Down 100%. There was an attempted shooting at Gaviota and 14th. Drive by/ suspected as gang related.
11. Sexual Offense, Fire, Emergency, Proactive Policing Other (0 Total): No Chage

39 Total Incidents (22% Decrease in crime)

Summary: In August there were 39 total Incidents ( a 22% Decrease in crime). Theft from Vehicles, theft of vehicles, robbery, breaking and entering, homicide, quality of life, are all trending down. Assaults, robbery and property crime are trending up.

Sunday Safety Update: 08/30/2015 - 09/05/2015

You will notice that there are assaults and thefts that start at 14th and Gaviota and trend South West. While there isn't a lot happening in our neighborhood, that assault was a big incident. It happened on Thursday: 09/03/2015 at 5:47am. 

Long Beach police are investigating a possibly gang-related shooting in the MacArthur Park neighborhood early Thursday. Officers responded to a call of shots fired around 5:47 a.m. near 1400 Gaviota Avenue. Officers learned that a man was driving in the area when he was shot at by male suspects who were on foot on the street, Pratt said. The victim’s vehicle was hit by gunfire but he was not struck. There were no reports of any injuries. The case is being investigated as possibly gang-related. - Read the article

This shooting was not fatal. That said, after it happened we made plans to clean Gaviota south of 15th Street this week. We are currently half done. This is the second shooting in Long Beach this week, the first happened two days earlier St. Mary's two days earlier. A subject is in custody.

One thing I have noticed is increased activity in the neighborhood both at night and during the day. Please keep an eye on all of Gaviota from Anaheim to PCH; there was a lot of loitering, even at the north end of Gaviota last night, I have not seen in the past. Also notice, the car thefts around Orizaba and Rotary Centennial Park haven't restarted yet, but be prepared. 

Also, keep a close eye around 10th and Alamitos. There was a shooting very close to that area a few weeks ago, and there is still a lot of activity in that area, as we speak. We have also asked for no loitering signs, where there is excessive amounts of evening activity that may be unsafe as well as No Parking Over 6' on streets, like Orange and Gundry. that are currently overrun by trailers leaving their trash in the streets.

We've gotten some of the no loitering signs put up and are waiting on the parking signs.