Months of protests came to an inflection point on Tuesday night as the Long Beach City Council settled in for their final deliberations over the city’s 2021 budget.
In the wake of worldwide demonstrations against police violence, the People’s Budget Coalition, a leading voice for racial equity in Long Beach, called for divestment from the police and a reimagining of community safety.
When the budget was approved, it included a mere one percent reduction in LBPD’s budget— a far cry from the 20 percent reduction the coalition advocated for.
This year’s budget deliberations have faced particular scrutiny. In parallel with calls for increased racial equity, the City has also faced a substantial loss in revenues due to COVID-19.
These losses, compounded by additional pandemic-related costs, have created a $30 million deficit in what Councilmember Dee Andrews described as “the roughest budget” he’d ever negotiated during his tenure on the council.
During the meeting, the People’s Budget Coalition was invited to present on their vision for the budget. Echoing previous stances, the coalition urged the council to make further cuts to the LBPD budget, which currently makes up the largest portion of the city’s general fund.
They cited the costs of police violence. Besides the cost of lost lives, LBPD has racked up $31 million in litigation costs for cases involving the use of force, officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.
“All of this cost points to a toxic culture and system of white supremacy that you all vote to protect and expand every time you throw more money at police and less of this money at systems of care,” said Gaby Hernandez, executive director of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition. “LBPD is not just a few bad apples, but a whole rotten orchard.”
Their presentation was atypical for a council meeting, including a pictorial anthology of LBPD violence.
The presentation wasn’t enough to sway the councilmembers. The “receive and file” item, didn’t receive a second motion from any council member, nor were any questions asked about the presentation.
“Your silence speaks volumes,” Dawn Modkins from Black Lives Matter said. “The actions that you each take tonight are far more significant than your platitudes on social media.”
During public comment on the agenda item, many residents voiced support for LBPD. Some went as far as to suggest zero cuts to the LBPD budget, despite the city’s shortfall.
One pointed out that the department hadn’t fully recovered from cuts made during the 2008 and 2009 recession. Others worried that response times would increase, which Police Chief Robert Luna said would be a likely result of the cuts.
“This is the largest global health crisis of our lifetime. It has required us to take a hard look at this budget and make sacrifices,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “The truth is, everyone is sacrificing during this budget. There are cuts all across the city, many of which are difficult.”
The approved $2.5 billion budget includes cuts to nearly every department, including a much-contested $10 million cut from the Long Beach Police Department.
Though no additional cuts were made from the proposed budget, some funds were moved around at the behest of the Budget Oversight Committee chaired by Councilmember Al Austin.
By limiting overtime pay, the council was able to restore one K9 unit position and several detective positions in the violent sexual predator unit.
The People’s Budget Coalition’s largest ask, divestment from police, was not met. However, other requests did receive funding.
The Justice Fund, which provides legal representation for immigrants, received structural funding for the first time. Language access programs and a right to counsel program for renters also received a boost.
Recommendations from Garcia also saved libraries and youth sports from falling victim to deep cuts.
Councilmember Rex Richardson said that around 40 of the 107 goals proposed by the City’s Racial Reconciliation Initiative were addressed in the budget.
“That’s impressive,” Richardson said. “I think that says something about the seriousness and commitment that the city council and staff are putting forward to address this issue of racial equity in our city.”
Though this year’s budget has been approved, the city’s revenue streams are expected to continue to endure losses in the coming years. Budget cuts may become more regular as the economic effects of the pandemic become more pronounced.
The next city council meeting will take place Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. via teleconference.
Very sad news. This is a major blow for hope against police brutality. At the same time as CSU Long Beach hosts an anti-racism conference, alumni like City Councilmember Jeanine Pearce betray its values…
My compliments to Emma De Maggio and staff. Your comments were uplifting and unbiased. Thank you…so refreshing!! And, my hat is off to the City Council for a great job in a difficult situation.