Increased Police Presence In Santa Monica Shopping Areas

SANTA MONICA—On October 28, the Santa Monica City Council approved the realignment plan presented on October 24th. A copy of the proposal may be found in a press release on the City of Santa Monica webpage. Councilmembers voted to give Santa Monica a facelift of sorts by cleaning it up and adding some much-needed security, so shoppers and other visitors are comfortable, and safe in a city that at one time was noted for its beauty. The proposed plan is to clean up debris left behind by homeless encampments, drug addicts, graffiti artists…and to add more officers to patrol the city streets and shopping districts. Canyon News reached out to Santa Monica City Manager, Oliver Chi, for a statement, but did not hear back in time for print. According to the webpage, Chi oversees a total city budget of $789.9 million with a workforce of over 2,000 employees. Reports indicate that the first phases of the Realignment Plan proposal began soon after Chi took over as City Manager in the latter part of 2024. $60 million has been reserved to revitalize the area, which could potentially bring more revenue into the city. The most recent published calls by the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) referred to the following Department Wide Statistics for October 12-18th. Year-to-date (YTD) calls—98,284 Calls for Service October 12-18—2,326 Officer Initiated Calls: 928 (39,728 YTD) Citizen Initiated Calls: 1,398 (58,556 YTD) Homeless Related Calls: 560 (26,069 YTD) Encampment Calls: 16 (1,004 YTD) Arrests: 63 (2,669 YTD) Homeless Arrests: 43 (1,902 YTD) 5150 Holds: 13 (512 YTD) Sidenote: A “5150” hold refers to a legal provision in California that allows for the involuntary hospitalization of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. @LoriMills, posted the following message on her X social media page after the news that a mental health facility for the homeless is coming to Ocean Avenue. Ocean Avenue is home to some of the most expensive land in the country; multimillion dollar homes, and five-star hotels with an ocean view. “I was born in Santa Monica. It used to be a pristine beach town. An actual tourist attraction. Now it is infested with crime, Antifa, the homeless, and needles. Democrat policy, Democrat results.” A second commenter, John_Alle, posted this message on November 3rd. “When ATMs in Santa Monica and mailing a letter are no longer safe at dusk…Santa Monica is the most permissive and inviting beachside city in Southern California for transient addicts to sleep and do drugs on sidewalks and in parks. Whose safety does Santa Monica’s leadership prioritize?” The SMPD Downtown Services Unit is reportedly expected to double the presence of sworn police officers to 8-10 per day to patrol either by bicycle or on foot throughout the Promenade, Transit Mall, and the downtown Corridor. Canyon News contacted SMPD for more specifics on the police detail, and will update this article when advised.   By Sharon