SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, October 30, the city of Santa Monica reported on their website the upcoming opening of a new Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) substation in the heart of the Downtown retail and dining district that places public safety and downtown revitalization at the forefront of the city’s recovery efforts.
“This is about restoring confidence, safety, and vibrancy to our downtown,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “The new substation – paired with enhanced police deployments – represents the kind of visible, meaningful action we’re taking to make Santa Monica a place where residents, businesses, and visitors once again feel safe and proud to be.”
Located on the ground level of Santa Monica Place, the 863-square-foot substation anchors a visible law enforcement presence in one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors. The facility will serve as a public safety command center and community engagement hub, allowing officers to respond quickly to incidents, coordinate operations, and maintain close partnership with Downtown Santa Monica stakeholders.
As part of the Realignment Plan, Santa Monica will be rolling out a revised and expanded police deployment strategy in the downtown area, including:
-Expanded Downtown Services Unit (DSU): Doubling the number of sworn personnel (at a base staffing level of 8 – 10 officers per day) dedicated to foot and bike patrols throughout the Promenade, Transit Mall, Pier, and surrounding areas to provide continuous high-visibility coverage.
-Additional patrol officers deployed daily: Through a realigned patrol schedule, SMPD will add three to five additional officers per day assigned to the downtown corridor, ensuring layered coverage and faster response times.
-Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) integration: Two dedicated HLP officers will now be assigned to the downtown area to enhance coordination with outreach teams and strengthen service connections for unhoused individuals.
New Public Safety Officers (PSOs): The City is adding eight new Public Safety Officers to supplement sworn operations by providing non-emergency response, visible presence, and direct support for both law enforcement and business assistance needs.
-Integrated partnerships: The substation will serve as a coordination point for SMPD’s collaboration with Metro, the City’s Clean & Safe Ambassadors, and private security teams across the downtown network – ensuring comprehensive coverage of transit, retail, and entertainment zones.
-Enhanced community engagement: The space will also function as a community outreach hub, hosting safety briefings, business walks, and events that deepen the connection between officers and the residents, workers, and visitors they serve.
“The new substation and expanded downtown patrol model are tangible results of our Realignment work – building organizational capacity, enhancing visibility, and delivering the kind of proactive policing our community expects,” said Acting Police Chief Darrick Jacob. “This is about partnership, presence, and prevention.”
The substation is expected to open later this fall, with full deployment of the new patrol model phased in through early 2026.
By Danny Jones