Crime Heads List of Business Leaders’ Concerns

Despite a 21% drop in serious crime since 1991, Long Beach business leaders cited public safety and crime as the chief weakness of doing business in the city, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The survey showed marked improvement in some key areas but indicated the city is still struggling to offset the impact of defense cutbacks and corporate downsizings that claimed more than 50,000 full-time jobs.

Public safety topped the list of weaknesses of doing business in Long Beach, followed by crime against property, crime against people, blight, business license fees, the homeless problem, city support for business and loss of customer base, according to the survey, which incorporated responses of 1,652 firms surveyed over the last four years.