Harbor Currents: NEWS April 3, 2013

Unidentifiable Auto Burglary Technology Emerges

Updated April 4, 2013

The Long Beach Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three suspects wanted in connection with a series of auto burglaries, where unknown technology was used to gain keyless entry into several vehicles.
During the early morning hours of Feb. 26, three suspects were caught on surveillance camera in an East Long Beach neighborhood utilizing small handheld devices to unlock vehicles before burglarizing them.
In the video, two suspects are seen walking up to four different vehicles, two parked on the street, and two parked in the same driveway. Although they are not able to gain access to the vehicles in the street, they are able to access the two vehicles parked in the driveway after a handheld device is manipulated causing the vehicle’s dome light to come on and doors to unlock. While this is taking place, a third suspect is seen walking on the opposite side of the street. On this particular night, seven vehicles in this neighborhood were accessed and burglarized.
Potentially, there could be numerous residents who were unknowingly victimized, or believed they may have left their vehicles unlocked and a suspect took advantage of the opportunity, but there is no way to know for sure. Investigators are uncertain whether any particular make or model of vehicle is more vulnerable than any another.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspects depicted in the video or the burglaries is urged to call (562) 570-7362 or anonymously at (800) 222-8477.

CORRECTION:
There were actually eight vehicles burglarized,
as opposed to seven, which is what was initially released. However, there are a
total of seven victims, due to two of the vehicles being owned by the same party.

Treasury Announces $591.9 Million in Small Business Lending
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a new report, April 3, showing that California institutions receiving capital through the Small Business Lending Fund continue to increase their small business lending, in total by more than $591.9 over their baselines.
This Use of Funds report shows that participants receiving capital through the Small Business Lending Fund boosted lending for the seventh straight quarter. In total, Small Business Lending Fund participants have increased small business lending by about $8.9 billion since the depths of the recession in 2009. This increased lending represents an estimated 38,000 additional small business loans over baseline levels. To view this information graphically, as well as detail on the increased lending across all regions, click here.
The report also shows that Small Business Lending Fund participants increased their lending by $1.5 billion more than the prior quarter, representing the second highest increase since the start of the program. Community banks participating in SBLF have increased business lending by 38 percent, a substantially greater amount than a peer group of similar banks across median measures of size, geography, and loan type.
Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy and are central to growth and job creation. In the aftermath of the recession and credit crisis, small business owners faced disproportionate challenges, including difficulty in accessing capital.
The Small Business Lending Fund, established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law in 2010, encourages community banks to increase their lending to small businesses, helping those companies expand their operations and create new jobs. Treasury invested more than $4 billion in 332 institutions through the Small Business Lending Fund. Collectively, these institutions operate in more than 3,000 locations across 48 states. This report includes information on the 320 institutions that continue to participate in the program as of March 15, 2013, including 270 community banks and 50 community development loan funds.
SBLF encourages lending to small businesses by providing capital to community banks and CDLFs with less than $10 billion in assets. The dividend or interest rate a community bank pays on SBLF funding is reduced as the bank increases its lending to small businesses – providing a strong incentive for new lending to small businesses so that these firms can expand and create jobs. As of December 31, 2012, the average rate paid by community banks on SBLF capital was 1.8 percent. Individual community banks can reduce the rate they pay to one percent if they increase qualified small business lending by 10 percent over their baseline.
The Small Business Lending Fund is one part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive agenda to help small businesses access the capital they need to invest and hire. Treasury also administers the State Small Business Credit Initiative, which allocates $1.5 billion to state programs designed to leverage private financing to spur $15 billion in new lending to small businesses and small manufacturers.
Details: www.sba.gov, www.treasury.gov/sblf