Long Beach property crime increase due in part to AB 109 early releases, police say

Property crimes spiked dramatically in Long Beach last year, which many officers charge is largely the result of the number of nonviolent inmates who were released early under Assembly Bill 109.

Police officials say a number of factors likely contributed to the spike, such as the region's still lagging economy, but officers say they can't discount the thousands of Los Angeles and other county inmates that were set free before completing their sentences.

Auto thefts, home burglaries and garage burglaries soared 19 percent to 40 percent, triggering a 10 percent increase overall in the property crime category, statistics on the Long Beach Police Department website show.

Violent crime, on the other hand, hit a 30-year low in 2012, with the city experiencing its lowest rates in that category for the first time since 1972, according to statistics on the Police Department's website. The department is expected to release its official 2012 crime statistics this week.

"Under realignment, there are some 4,000 fewer people in the system. They're back on the streets," Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. "These are people who have a history of property crimes, of thefts and burglaries and other nonviolent offenses, and these are people who are often driven ... by a dependence on narcotics. It's predictable that they are going to re-offend in a serial fashion."….Long Beach property crime increase due in part to AB 109 early releases, police say - Press-Telegram