Public Safety Report Released
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT RELEASED
FEBRUARY 28, 2011 The HBDRA released a report today entitled, A PUBLIC SAFETY STUDY OF DOWNTOWN HUNTINGTON BEACH. Click HERE to view the PDF Report.
This is the first report of its kind released to the public quantifying Public Safety issues facing our Downtown Neighborhood of nearly 4000 residents.
As one might suspect, the Downtown Bar Scene is creating havoc with Public Safety in our Downtown Neighborhood as well as citywide; no one is immune.
• Of the 69 largest cities in the State, Huntington Beach is #1 in DUI traffic accidents involving death or injury. We are #1 in DUI arrests 4 years in a row.
• The Downtown Neighborhood has a crime rate 800% greater than other neighborhoods in the City. Thus includes crimes such as RAPE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY and other major felonies.
• Downtown crime is 40 times more than allowed by the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control.
• We have over 700% more bars and 300% more liquor stores per capita than the rest of Orange County
• 28% of all the bars in Huntington Beach are located Downtown. We have 55 times more bars per square mile Downtown than the rest of the City.
• We have 73 times more alcohol-related assaults and 136 times more Drunk in Public arrests.
And here is the OTHER BAD NEWS. Our City Council majority continues to approve more alcohol licenses Downtown and they continue to ignore their #1 responsibility which is to ensure the Public Safety.
Why? What are the facts? Click HERE to view the PDF Report.
Please attend the City Council meeting on March 7th at 6:00 PM.
At this meeting they will vote on an alcohol license for Bomburger, a small take-out hamburger place on Main Street. We say NO! Enough is Enough!
Please join the HBDRA at the meeting.
The HBDRA is not asking for a moratorium on alcohol licenses. We are not asking to close down all the bars. The HBDRA is simply asking for BALANCE. We are asking that our City Council remember that Downtown is, first and foremost, a neighborhood of 4000 residents.
We are asking our City Council to place Public Safety for its citizens as their Number 1 priority and not sacrifice Public Safety in their quest for more and more revenue.
Our OFFICIAL POSITION STATEMENT is as follows
1) The HBDRA supports a more balanced Downtown that creates a safer environment for both residents and tourists.
2) The HBDRA supports public safety in the immediate Downtown neighborhood of 4000 residents and in the Huntington Beach community at large.
3) The HBDRA does not support a moratorium of alcohol licenses Downtown.
4) The HBDRA does not support the unwarranted closure of any Downtown bars or other alcohol-serving establishments Downtown, deferring these decisions to our City Officials.
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