Is Newport Beach’s Quality of Life Sinking? Leaders Discuss During Forum Leaders in Newport Beach gathered at a webinar on March 10 to discuss whether the coastal city’s living standards have been declining. “In the last year, we’ve seen a worldwide pandemic leading to an unprecedented societal shutdown, affecting our workplaces, schools, and places of worship,” said Newport Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Steve Rasmussen, who moderated the forum. “We’ve experienced riots, social unrest, and calls to defund the police despite the chaos. And finally, we’ve seen heightened political polarization leading to escalating conflicts between both neighbors and even old friends. The conventional wisdom is that all of these challenges have led to a reduction in quality of life for many Americans.”