CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
CITY COUNCIL MEETING – COUNCIL MEMBER ITEMS REPORT
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PAT BURNS, CITY COUNCILMEMBER
DATE: 12/20/2022
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR HBPD CRIME STATISTICS AND ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES
There is concern in the community that the City of Huntington Beach should be doing more to fight crime and/or address an increase in certain crimes. For example, there is an increase in shoplifting from shops in Huntington Beach in broad daylight. These crimes are often treated as misdemeanors that cannot be dealt with adequately by the criminal justice system, yet many of these kinds of crimes can be presented to a prosecutor not simply as petty theft, but as a higher charge of burglary, in order to get greater penalties. In another example, there has been a measurable increase in home burglaries both on Edwards Hill and in the Huntington Harbour area. In fact, Huntington Harbour has seen nearly 30 in-home burglaries from January 1, 2022 to November 30, 2022.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Direct the City Manager to work with the Police Chief and return on January 17, 2023 with a report on crime statistics over the past year, particularly regarding theft from or damage to our local businesses and home invasion burglaries throughout the City; and
2. Return on January 17, 202 3 with a report on what measures (without reporting/re vealing tactics that should be kept confidential) that the HBPD will take in 2023 to increase public safety and law enforcement; and
3. Return quarterly with crime statistics and include explanations of the HBPD’s increased efforts to fight crime; and
4. Direct the City Attorney to return on January 17, 2023 with any recommendations to increase prosecutorial support of the HBPD, if any.