The Long Beach City Council voted February 20 to continue pursuing efforts to reduce illegal activity at six Long Beach motels. Future initiatives may include an ordinance holding property owners accountable for criminal activities and creating an amortization program to phase out motels located in areas without a high volume of tourists.

 

Long Beach Innovation Team Director Tracy Colunga presented an update on the Nuisance Motels Pilot Program, a multi-department effort created in 2017 to identify the motels with high levels of human trafficking, drug activity and violent crime. It is set to conclude in September 2018.

 

Based on criteria such as a high volume of calls for police service and the severity of crimes reported, the program identified six “nuisance” locations: Luxury Inn, Searle Motel, Colonial Pool & Spa Motel, a Travelodge, Greenleaf Hotel and Stallion Inn Motel. Two of these are located on Long Beach Boulevard, two on Atlantic Avenue, one on Pacific Coast Highway near Atlantic Avenue and one on Lime Avenue. Luxury Inn, Searle Motel [both located on Long Beach Boulevard] and Stallion Inn are located in North Long Beach. The Travelodge and Greenleaf Inn are located downtown and Colonial is on Pacific Coast Highway near Atlantic Avenue and Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

 

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, one of the councilmembers who introduced the item, emphasized the importance of creating both a short- and long-term strategy to tackle the problem at its roots.

 

“When the city cracks down [on human trafficking], it’s like a water balloon,” he said at the meeting. “We crack down for a little while and then the issues just move to Compton and Lynwood. When the Compton sheriffs crack down, it squeezes the other side of the balloon and it [the problem] pops back up in Long Beach. We can’t look at just suppression.” Richardson represents the 9th District, where some of the problem motels are located.

 

Richardson proposed instating performance standards at motels as well as adding more lighting and security cameras. “The city is installing security cameras on Long Beach Boulevard,” he said. “The motel owners should be required to do that so it’s not funded by the taxpayers.” Richardson also pointed to a city mandate in Chula Vista that requires motel guests to show identification and register their license plate number when they check in.

 

The vice mayor outlined the long-term solution of updating zoning and land use regulations to phase out motels in neighborhoods where motel tourism is not economically viable. The establishments could then transition into affordable housing or mixed-use developments.

 

“I think this is a very proactive, strong approach,” 8th District Councilmember Al Austin said. “What I like about it is that it identified the most problem motels. It didn’t necessarily paint all motel operators with a wide brush. I have motels in my district as well. Not all of them are the best, but we have some examples of very well-run [motels] and responsible motel operators who should also be involved in a conversation about best practices.”