The number of shootings in Long Beach hit a five-year low over the first half of this year, the city’s police chief said Monday.
Over the past five years, Long Beach averaged 187 shootings during the first half of each year, according to police data. This year, the city logged just 133, down from 188 last year.
There were also marked declines in many other crime categories through the end of June. Robberies were down 18.9% citywide compared to last year. Property crimes as a whole dropped 23.6%, with motor vehicle thefts down 33.6% along with commercial burglary (down 34.5%) and residential burglary (down 12.2%)…