Speaker 0: Thank you. We are going to do item 38, please.
Speaker 1: Item 38 is a communication from Councilman Price. Councilman Sabrina. Councilman Austin. Recommendation to direct City Manager to work with the Long Beach Police Chief to identify options to retain existing police officers and hire additional police officers to start the traffic enforcement unit in the city of Long Beach and request an update on the current status of the traffic enforcement team.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman Price.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Chief, I was hoping that you can give us an update on the positions that we already have budgeted that remain vacant for traffic enforcement. And speak to a little bit about where we are with our traffic enforcement team and your efforts to build that back up. Because obviously, as you know and I know all of my council colleagues know traffic enforcement and traffic safety is a huge, huge issue citywide. It affects every single district and every single resident. So I'd love to have an update about where we are and how we're going to fill these positions that are funded but vacant.
Speaker 8: Thank you, Councilwoman Pryce. So can you give an overview of the budgeted numbers? And as I mentioned earlier on the other topic, historically we don't have definitive actual numbers because of injuries and deployments and that type of thing. So that's just that, the caveat to that. But we are budgeted for 24 years to our motor unit. We were budgeted for two sergeants to our motor unit. We currently have six available motor officers and one available sergeant. So we have officers who are either out on injuries or have been deployed within those numbers. But we have vacancies that we need to fill in. A big part of filling those vacancies involves recruitment and retention and the ability to hire more police officers so we can get them trained and deployed and allow opportunities for existing officers to go to those motor units. So that's what we're working on right now to address the traffic enforcement issues.
Speaker 4: Okay. So the the reason I think that this item is timely is, as we just heard, the city manager has presented his budget to the mayor for review. And I know that these positions, it looks like we have 14 positions that we could potentially fill for our traffic enforcement unit that are budgeted already. Those dollars are in the budget. So I want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to retain existing officers, the existing six that we have. But also, if we're able to offer any sort of a recruitment or signing bonus to hire for those 14 positions that we have open, is that something that's contemplated in the budget? And if not, is that something that the city manager can look towards, including.
Speaker 8: So Councilwoman, I can talk about what exists now and motor officers do receive additional pay for that assignment. As far as I'll ask Mr. Modica, regarding the budget discussion and the ability to include that within the budget.
Speaker 2: So we can do the same thing. On the other item, we can bring back some suggestions on how to get to where the council wants to go on this. We do have the ability to do hiring bonuses. That was something that we just got through. I mean, confer and the council very much supported. So we can certainly look at making sure we have enough officers in our upcoming class. We are doing back to back to back academies. So we have one coming on in August and then we'll be following up right after that with another one and one after that. So the plan is to get stepped up and if we need to use bonuses to be able to bring officers in. What we don't have right now is a program to pay people to stay in a certain slot or position that they're currently in our programs or to attract new individuals into the city.
Speaker 4: Okay. Well, I think that having some sort of a retention bonus, our retention option is really important for our traffic officers. How many diaries do we have in the agency right now?
Speaker 8: Councilwoman We currently have six certified diaries with, I believe, one in the process of being certified in two additional officers that are scheduled for training and certification for the degree program.
Speaker 4: Okay. One of the things I would like to suggest, and I know we're going through negotiations and I think this is something I've talked about it in the past, but I would like to see us consider a stipend for degrees. Certified degrees. I mean, we've we saw so many traffic fatalities last year. I think they were on pace with the number of non traffic murders that we saw in on traffic fatalities, that the numbers were incredibly high. And I want to see to make sure that our traffic enforcement team, our motor unit, is built back up. Six officers is not enough to serve a city of this size with one sergeant. And of course, having six certified degrees is great. But given the increase we're seeing in impaired driving, that includes combination cases of drugs and alcohol. I think it's important that we invest in more degrees. And if that involves giving the degrees a stipend as part of their contract, I think that's something we should be open to considering. But I'd ask my colleagues to support this item. Again, it's it's it's doing everything we can to fill the current vacancies that we have so that we can build our traffic enforcement team, our motor unit back up. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman Mongo.
Speaker 3: Thank you. While this is supercritical critical, I want to say that it's even more critical that it's really up and running as soon as the funds are available. I know back to school time is a critical time for our community and our traffic issues. Youth crossing the street and the condition of our roads these days, people are just not paying attention. And the number one thing that I know comes up at our side of town community meetings is not just the petty theft, but the other number one idea that's very co-leaders in the fight is really the traffic issues in our city and how we've worked really hard with the traffic engineer to design changes that that make that difference. But until we're out there enforcing the law on a regular basis, we just don't have the compliance that we really need from both anyone driving in our city. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman. Sir.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Price, for bringing this item forward. I think we've talked about traffic as well as pedestrian safety quite a number of time in our public safety committee. And while I do agree that we do need enforcement, we've also talk about doing education. So we do prevention around various impaired driving to making sure that our roads are safer by working with public works, to ensuring that we're just getting people to slow down and not drive so fast as well as on our Health and Human Services Department side. And how are we making sure to educate pedestrians as drivers about how best to walk or proceed accordingly? And also in the end, it's reducing just collisions and injury. So it's taking a less told our not our fire department as well. So I just wanted to make sure to acknowledge that, that while I do think we do need enforcement, we also need kind of a collaborative effort with our other departments, too. And so I think that we also have received some grants recently around doing education as well. Right, Chief?
Speaker 8: Yes, Councilwoman. We have the OTS grant where some of that funding goes to not only the police department, but the health department to provide educational campaigns and efforts for the community.
Speaker 1: How much was that?
Speaker 8: I don't have the exact funding number, but I can report back on that for you.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Come from Boston.
Speaker 7: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I'm happy to second this motion. Obviously, we have a mission as a city to be a Vision zero city and reduce traffic fatalities and accidents across our city. But these are daily realities that we deal with in our communities. And there are major corridors that impact many people, particularly pedestrians and businesses. So I'm happy to support this as I want to be consistent and just make a friendly request to the maker of the motion to allow us to to look at this a little closer to the budget oversight process. That is the appropriate place for this item to be. We're talking this close to the budget season, and I think it's important for us to, you know, really, really dig in, see process and look at these proposals. And so I'm happy to support this. This is headed in the right direction. It's good to hear the data, but like I said, I'd like to get into it a little deeper in terms of understanding personnel numbers and and, you know, how we can we can we can help improve traffic enforcement in the city of Long Beach. I can tell you that I am already prepared for the first week of school. Right, for school year. Usually, you know, there's a dramatic demand for traffic enforcement around our schools, in our neighborhoods. That never changes year after year after year. So obviously, I like to be in a position to move an item, but also be in a position to to be prepared for the demand that we're going to have during the school season, school year, because there is opportunity as number provision to educate parents, educate the public about, you know, the hazards of driving behavior, particularly in school zones. So I'm happy to support this and hope to see a further Barbie AOC.
Speaker 0: Thank you. That concludes your public comment. I'm sorry on this item.
Speaker 5: If there are any members of the public that would like to speak on item 38 in person, please sign up at the podium in Zoom. Please use the race cam feature or dial star nine. See none. That concludes public comment.
Speaker 0: Thank you. There is a motion and I just want to clarify that. I know that he he queued on hybrid, but Councilor Austin wanted to be the second to the motion councilman Mongo. Okay, so the motion and a second member's piece couldn't catch your votes.
Speaker 4: The Mayor I had some questions as well. I cued up.
Speaker 0: You're. I'm so. I'm sorry. You're right. You did keep up, and I'd have you on here, so call Councilman Allen.
Speaker 4: All right? No worries. No worries. I know it's tough with this hybrid. And so I'm. Thank you, Mayor. And again, I support this full valley. Wholeheartedly support this. I think this is great. I do have a question, Chief, if you were there. So Councilwoman Pryce brought up the the drugs. And so I have a question regarding that myself being a former degree. And I know how much time and effort goes into that. Is there a need for us to do that anymore? And the reason I'm asking that is, you know, we don't really prosecute for 1150 anymore. I mean, drugs have pretty much been decriminalized. So is the juice of a of a degree even worth, you know, the squeeze on our budget? So I just I know we need them for maybe felony DUIs, but is that necessary as we beef up the traffic division to actually have certified drugs?
Speaker 8: So. Thank you, Councilwoman. The DRC training is essential and it's important. And the reason being is that, you know what you're referring to for the 1155, those are under the influence, although that might not be the primary mission of a drug recognition expert. And even with the changes in legislation, driving under the influence is still an issue. And so having a drug that can recognize when substances beyond just alcohol are on board with a driver involved in a traffic collision or a fatality is very important. So it is additional training that just enhances an officer's ability to address impaired driving.
Speaker 4: Okay. So are you using then diaries and sorry, because I've been gone for so long. I'm just. Just. Are you using drugs? Do they go to respond to all traffic collisions or is that just depending on availability?
Speaker 8: So thank you, Councilwoman. That's depending on availability. If they are available, they they are called for and respond. However, officers are still able to articulate symptoms and symptomology to make arrests related to impaired driving, even if they are not diaries. The DRI program just provides an enhanced level of training and certification that helps with the prosecution.
Speaker 4: Okay, good. So so these programs, which are like traffic programs all throughout the city, are really important, I think, to everyone in every district. So this would still be beefed up regardless of DUI certifications, is that correct?
Speaker 8: I'm sorry, Councilwoman. I don't know if I understand the question correctly. The dairy program would still be increased. Is that what you're talking?
Speaker 4: Yes. I mean, we're we're still going to increase, but. But is the beefing up? Yes. The traffic division. Is that dependent on getting those officers certified?
Speaker 8: No, ma'am. That those are the traffic vacancies that I currently have that I would like to fill.
Speaker 4: Okay, great. Okay. Thank you so much, Chief. I appreciate all your good work.
Speaker 8: Thank you.
Speaker 4: Okay.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilman Fischer. Thank you. You're quite up again, correct?
Speaker 4: Yes. It's just real quick. So I love the questions that Councilman Allen asked. So spot on. Right now, the only way that we can prosecute the misdemeanor DUI offense is a vehicle code sections 23, 152, C, D, E and S. Those are the drug or combo DUIs. They're misdemeanor offenses. So the drugs are really necessary to prosecute those cases because in California, there's no per se level of impairment like there is with alcohol at a point. There's no four sigma level for drugs. So the only expert that can come to court and opine that someone was impaired for the purposes of driving really is a degree and the chief is right. Other officers can opine, but the testimony of a degree in court in terms of whether drugs were a factor or a combination factor in someone's impairment, can really only be done by a degree. That's why the California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS, provides so many different grants related to drugs. And that's why CHP has really been trying to push a DRP stipend for different agencies. And CHP is willing to assist law enforcement agencies with that kind of a stipend because we saw a huge increase in DUI drug cases from DUI alcohol cases since the passage of Prop 64 and some other legislation that changed the number of DUI cases that we had that were either combination or drugs only. So drugs are huge. And the item that I brought specifically talks not just about DUIs, but street takeovers, loud pipes and speeding and running of spot stoplights stop lights and stop signs. So the traffic enforcement team hopefully can address all of those things. DUIs were just one of the items that I enumerated in my item. And and to Councilman Austin's point, yes, absolutely. They should come back to The O.C. for further discussion. But I just want to highlight that my item tonight talks about existing budgeted positions, not budgeting more. So thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. We are going to go ahead and go to a vote. Let me let me just two announcements here. We go to a vote. The city one city attorney has asked me just to remind folks to keep their cameras on just for the council rules. I mean, we're doing the remote. And then secondly, Vice Mayor Richardson believes this anniversary tonight. So he wanted to make sure that we announce that he was he had headed out for his wedding anniversary. And then Mr. City attorney, the director of the announcement. Right. Okay. Thank you. There's been a motion and a second members. Fusco and Castro votes.
Speaker 1: We'll call District one. District to you. I disagree.
Speaker 4: I.
Speaker 1: District five.
Speaker 3: I.
Speaker 1: District six i. District seven i. District eight II. District nine. Motion is carried.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Item 31, please.
Recommendation to direct City Manager to work with the Long Beach Police Chief to identify options to retain existing police officers and hire additional police officers to staff the Traffic Enforcement Unit in the City of Long Beach; and

Request for an update to the City Council on the current status of the Long Beach Police Department Traffic Enforcement team.