What This Campaign Is About

By Tom Reeves

Accomplishment and vision

MY VISION FOR THIS CITY

CODE ENFORCEMENT

This is how a prosecutor can help maintain quality living standards. It needs to be expanded and made more community oriented. I would use my Community Prosecution strategy as a model and bring enforcement to the neighborhoods. I have accelerated the process and I will bring matters to an earlier conclusion without making every building or homeowner a criminal defendant. This will require changes to methods and increased community involvement but it has been proven as a working model already.

VIOLENT CRIME

One area that my office can help make a difference is in violent crime and specifically in gang related crimes. My office just completed its first Gang Injunction # the last two were done by the City Attorney's Office working with the District Attorney's Office. I intend to vigorously pursue gang member prosecutions and to use innovative tools such as injunctions and sentencing/probation conditions to fight these vicious street criminals.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Another area of violent crime that needs more Community Involvement is domestic violence. Using a modified community based model, I want to use existing social groups to adjust batterer behavior and monitor batterer compliance. Like Neighborhood Watch and Alcoholic Anonymous this type of strategy will multiply the persons watching and require batterers to account to their community.

WHAT I HAVE DONE:

Four years ago I was elected to make positive changes in Long Beach - to improve the quality of life and to fight crime.

Within six months of being elected city prosecutor, I cleaned up an illegal dump that had existed for years--Convicted the responsible party who was represented by my opponent and got the largest restitution order for a misdemeanor in Long Beach.

In the same six months, I created "Call to Protect," a program that provides cell phones and service at no cost to Long Beach - for the victims of domestic violence and stalking. These cell phones are still protecting innocent women and children from violence today. I started a program to obtain state funded counseling for children exposed to domestic violence. I have also instituted a program to immediately serve arrest warrants on batterers living in Long Beach who fail to enroll and attend their court ordered counseling

In my first year as city prosecutor, I obtained federal funding to prosecute crimes in a distressed neighborhood. Last month this neighborhood received the Jewel of the City award as one of the most improved neighborhoods in the city # just two blocks from where Long Beach police officer Darryl Black was murdered two years ago.

I have aggressively prosecuted slumlords #jailing them and cleaning up their properties. Last year I worked hard to get the State to give Long Beach a 1 million dollar grant to expand this strategy - a strategy that gives children clean, safe places to live.

As City Prosecutor, I fought for and got a $95,000 grant from Los Angeles County # again saving city funds - and I went to court and won an injunction against one of the most vicious street gangs in Long Beach. I have enough grant money left over to do two more gang injunctions.

These are only a few of the positive changes I have made for Long Beach.

I have dedicated my life to public service both in the military and in this community. I have a proven track record of increasing responsibility and accountability. I have managed offices as small as four employees and as large as several hundred. Currently I manage a department with 40 employees and a 4 million dollar budget. I am a founder and Vice President of the County Prosecutors Association and I serve on the Board of Directors for many community organizations like the WomenShelter, Crippled Children Society and the Disabled Resources Center.

I admit I am a military man with a no-nonsense approach to this job. In 1996 the Air Force sent me to Bosnia as a legal advisor for the International Police Task Force. The Air Force sent me because of my ability to pull people together in difficult situations. That same ability has made me an effective City Prosecutor.

My experience demonstrates superior leadership and management skills. I am the only candidate seeking to be elected City Prosecutor who has prosecuted a criminal case.

I work closely with law enforcement. They know what it takes to make a good prosecutor and they have endorsed me:

· District Attorney Steve Cooley · Sheriff Lee Baca · Long Beach Police Officers Association · Long Beach Fire Fighters Association · Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Long Beach needs a City Prosecutor who is tough, innovative and dedicated. I am the most qualified candidate for this office.