Man Shot, Killed in Long Beach
LONG BEACH — On Sept. 10, a man was shot near the 2100 block of Pasadena Avenue in Long Beach. The man was taken to a local hospital and was later pronounced dead.
When officers arrived, they discovered the victim who had been struck by gunfire in the upper body, on the sidewalk. A Long Beach police officer administered life saving measures on the victim until Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived. Paramedics then took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.
The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
A motive for the shooting appears to be gang-related and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call (562) 570-7244 or anonymously visit www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
Boat Strikes Catalina Island Resident Fatally Struck by Boat
CATALINA ISLAND — On Sept. 10, at about noon, 22-year-old Belinda Joanne Nguyen was fatally struck by a boat while snorkeling in the mooring field in the Isthmus Cove at Catalina Island.
Avalon Sheriff’s Station, Two Harbors Harbor Patrol and Isthmus Baywatch personnel responded to the accident. When the deputies and additional personnel arrived, they learned Belinda Nguyen who was snorkeling had been fatally struck in the head by a boat’s propeller.
Belinda Nguyen was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was transported by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department rescue helicopter, Air-5, personnel to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner – Coroner’s office.
There is no additional information available at this time.
The investigation is being conducted by collision investigators at Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station.
Please contact Avalon Sheriff’s Station with any further questions at (310) 510-0174.
No One Hurt in Officer-Involved Shooting
LONG BEACH — On Sept. 10, a man with a gun was arrested near MacArthur Park in Long Beach.
The incident took place at about 3:15 p.m. when a person reported having seen the man with the gun at the park, near Anaheim Street and Gundry.
The preliminary investigation has determined the following:
- The first officer was about a block away when he was dispatched to the location.
- Upon the officer’s arrival, a witness directed him to where the suspect could be located.
- The officer located the suspect who matched the description provided by the calling party.
- The officer attempted to detain the suspect for further investigation and the suspect fled on foot.
- As the suspect fled, the officer observed the suspect carrying a firearm in his hand.
- The officer pursued the suspect in his police vehicle through the park, then southbound across Anaheim Street into an alley behind the 1200 hundred block of Hoffman Avenue. When the officer confronted the suspect, a shooting took place.
- The suspect was not hit by gunfire. The suspect immediately complied after the officer involved shooting and was safely taken into custody.
- No officers were injured as a result of this incident.
- Due to the ongoing investigation, the suspect’s identity is not being released at this time. He is described as a 29-year-old resident of Long Beach.
- Two weapons were recovered, a firearm and a replica firearm.
Any unreported victims or witnesses are urged to call (562) 570-7244 or anonymously visit www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
Port of Los Angeles Moves 786,000 TEUs in August
SAN PEDRO — August 2015 containerized cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles increased 3.8 percent compared to the same period last year. The port handled a total of 786,677 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in August 2015. It was the strongest August performance since 2006, when 790,726 TEUs moved through the port complex.Current and historical data is available here.
“The numbers are strong indicators that our terminal operators, longshore labor and supply chain partners are adjusting to the new industry dynamics of carrier alliances, deploying larger ships and delivering higher container volumes per call,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said. “Our San Pedro Bay supply chain optimization working groups, overseen by the Federal Maritime Commission, are providing valuable insights that contribute to our mission to improve cargo-flow efficiency and velocity.”
Imports increased 6.3 percent, from 383,551 TEUs in August 2014 to 407,804 TEUs in August 2015. Exports declined 14 percent, from 168,248 TEUs in August 2014 to 143,936 TEUs in August 2015. Factoring in empties, which increased 14 percent, overall August 2015 volumes of 786,677 increased 3.8 percent.
For the first eight months of 2015, overall volumes (5,389,316 TEUs) are down 2.5 percent compared to the same period in 2014.
Current and past data container counts for the Port of Los Angeles may be found at:http://www.portoflosangeles.org/maritime/stats.asp
Record Cargo Numbers Continue at the POLB
LONG BEACH — For the second month in a row, the Port of Long Beach broke its own record for cargo volume in its 104-year history. Overall cargo volume grew by 22.8 percent in August compared to the same month last year.
Cargo volume, measured by the number of containers moving through the port, reached 703,652 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The amount beats July’s cargo volume and marks two consecutive months of record-breaking volumes. A total of 1,393,896 TEUs moved through the Port of Long Beach in July and August.
As consumer confidence grows, the dollar strengthens and retailers stock shelves, the Port of Long Beach’s strategic partnerships continue to yield positive results. Through the first eight months of 2015, Long Beach cargo numbers are growing faster than the overall economy and are up 5.4 percent compared to the first eight months of 2014.
Not only did imports climb to 358,262 TEUs, or a 19.1 percent increase over last year, but exports grew 9.4 percent to 138,765 TEUs. Empty containers, meanwhile, rose 42.1 percent with 206,625 TEUs.
For all the latest monthly cargo numbers, click here.
For more details on the cargo numbers, please visit www.polb.com/stats.
Legislature Approves Law to Modernize and Diversify Development at the POLA
SACRAMENTO — On Sept. 10, the California State Legislature gave its approval to a package of bills by Sen. Isadore Hall III, which will modernize and diversify development at the Port of Los Angeles and surrounding communities of San Pedro and Wilmington.
Currently, ports are losing market share to competitors outside of the state partially because other jurisdictions are subsidizing infrastructure improvements.
Senate Bill 63 will provide ports statewide, including POLA, with a valuable financing tool to help improve port infrastructure, address increased shipping volume and improve air quality by investing in technologies to reduce emissions. SB 63 was approved by the State Senate on a 34-1 vote and approved by the State Assembly on a 76-2 vote.
Over the years, due to an expansion in POLA activity and a reduction of other commercial or residential development, the waterfront area now offers only isolated areas of successful visitor-oriented commercial enterprises amidst a growing inventory of abandoned, vacant or underutilized areas.
To address this inconsistent land use, the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Harbor Department initiated the LA Waterfront planning and development program. This program is focused on establishing a framework for enhancing the San Pedro and Wilmington communities by providing waterfront access with landscaped boulevards, promenades, parks, and urban squares as well as development opportunities that will provide one-of-a-kind experiences for both tourists and residents alike.
SB 399 by Hall will provide Los Angeles with an important tool to promote new waterfront related development, while maintaining the integrity of the State Tidelands Trust.
SB 399 was approved by the State Senate on a 39-0 vote and approved by the State Assembly on an 80-0 vote.
SB 63 and SB 399 now head to Gov. Jerry Brown for final action.
Garcetti, City Departments Commit Pure Battery Electric Vehicles
LOS ANGELES —On Sept. 11, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a commitment to lease 160 pure battery electric vehicles.
The program commits city departments to the leasing of pure battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to replace aging city vehicles — including those with conventional internal combustion engines.
The Los Angeles Police, Fire, General Services, and Water and Power departments will together lease the 160 battery electric vehicles. In addition, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the General Services Department will lease an additional 128 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Garcetti this past year issued the Sustainable City pLAn, a blueprint to make Los Angeles more sustainable and deliver environmental and economic benefits to the city. These leases will deliver on the pLAn’s commitment to ensure that 50 percent of the city’s annual light-duty vehicle purchases are electric vehicles by 2017. This is also a big step toward the pLAn’s longer-term target to have 80 percent of city vehicle fleet purchases be electric vehicles by 2025.
In addition to the 288 new battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Los Angeles Police Department is also being loaned a Tesla Model S P85D and a BMW i. These vehicles will be used for testing and research by LAPD technical experts to determine how this technology can support their future needs. The department has also already purchased 23 electric scooters and three electric motorcycles for use by patrol officers.
One hundred of the battery electric vehicles will be dedicated to the LAPD, making it the largest single departmental procurement to date. The battery electric vehicles will be used by detectives, investigators and administrative employees. The LADWP will lease 44 battery electric vehicles and 113 of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
“We already have 67 EVs in our motor pool, and will purchase even more to replace our older gasoline vehicles,” said LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards. “LADWP’s motor pool also includes plug-in hybrid trucks … We are proud to offer both a strong rebate to our customers who install EV chargers through our Charge Up LA program and to expand the use of EVs in our own operations.”
The change in vehicle procurement policy will:
- Cut operating costs of the vehicles by an estimated 41% ($0.21 per mile for EVs vs. $0.37 per mile for conventional vehicles)
- Free up City budget dollars currently allocated to finance the purchase vehicles, so City departments can invest in key infrastructure upgrades;
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to planting over 20,000 trees, while lowering harmful smog forming pollutants like NOx and hydrocarbons
Details: visit plan.lamayor.org.
