Public Safety is Job One!

I believe public safety is the most fundamental role of our city's public officials. When you elected me four years ago, I pledged to make this city safe again. But it has been an uphill battle, and there is much more work to be done. I'm asking you to vote for me again, so that I can continue all the policies I have been working on to make this city a place of peace. Here are some of the things we've accomplished.

*When I took office there was no permanent police chief on duty. It took over eight months to hire the right chief.

* In 2021, unpermitted food vendors had taken over the iconic Santa Monica Pier. On July 4, 2021 we counted more than 64 unpermitted vendors on the Pier.. Most were controlled by a family (gang) who intimidated other vendors. They beat the vendors who didn't bring in enough return at the end of the night, they used teenagers with loaded pistols to make sure the vendors did their bidding, and they poured hot grease directly into the storm drains that flowed into the Pacific Ocean. The carts on the Pier contained live fire on the old wooden Pier. The crime gang threatened Code Enforcement officers and their families.

I pushed to institute special enforcement units to stop the illegal vending and mobilized special code enforcement and police teams, nicknamed DART, to clean up the Pier and beachfront. Some of the crime family were arrested and others were cited. The special enforcement teams worked. The illegal carts were cleared and the city set up a path to legalization for those operators who wanted to play by the rules.

*Our police force maximum when I took office after the looting of May 31, 2021 was 221, yet by February 2022 our force had declined to 161 officers (including the chief). I pushed time and again to recruit officers, raise pay, improve working conditions and hire college educated, exemplary police officers for our city. Today, the maximum roster for our police force is 232 officers, which we have yet to achieve. The SMPD now employs 214 officers, with more coming on line quickly. We have hired 55 officers in 24 months. That's good work and I hope that the increased police presence will have a chilling effect on crime and aberrant behavior in our town.

*It has been a constant battle to bolster our city’s security. One city council member declared, "the unhoused are our neighbors, “ and "I don’t trust the SMPD.” Some on the council have repeatedly stated that we "need to study whether we need more police,” that we “need to study whether or not we need mental health teams" patrolling the city to address mental health disorders and drug addiction. I don't have those doubts. I've walked our streets daily for years and have seen the victims of crime. I’ve seen the fear on residents‘ and visitors’ faces, and I’ve witnessed the out of control homelessness on our streets and in our parks. I don't need to "study" whether we need increased police and security presence or mental health street teams. I know we need them. Action is more important than words now. Our studies show that we should have 278 police officers in our city to be able to prevent crimes before they happen. I will continue to work towards that goal. It's vital to keep residents safe.

Here is what I am continuing to work on:

Secure enough Police officers to be able to patrol this whole city 24 hours each day…Not just in business areas, but in your neighborhoods as well.

Boost the Homeless Liaison Team (HELP). Presently elements of the Help Team are only on day shift during weekdays, yet we have homeless related problems twenty-four hours a day every day.

Clean up our parks. Our parks have become infested with blatant illegal drug use. Our parks must be off-limits for drugs. Arrest and charge dealers and users.

Work with Neighborhood Associations to help foster smart crime prevention. Form neighborhood watches to stop crime on your block. The extra eyes and ears supplement police efforts and help boost our community involvement as well.

Respect the rights of all. While we are a compassionate people, we must be fair, and laws must equally be applied to everyone, regardless of housing status.

Persuade LA County to take responsibility for mental health facilities. We have mentally ill and drug-addicted people coming to Santa Monica from all over the country. As many as 6,000 a year cycle through here. As a town of 89,000 people, we will never have the resources to adequately address this influx.

Work with Metro to find a solution to the "end of the line" problem. Every night we have 40-70 homeless individuals exiting the E Line on the last scheduled trains. Sheriffs guide them off the train and they flow into our city to roam the streets all night or bed down outside. Santa Monica was not always the end-of-the-line stop, and we should change this.

Santa Monica is fortunate to be a charter city, and as such, we have our own city attorney, with an excellent staff of assistant city attorneys. We can process our own misdemeanors. Let’s put them to work.

Together you and I can restore Santa Monica to a place of vibrancy, security and joy. We can be safe in our homes and on our streets. I promise you that I will work as hard as I can to ensure that this happens. Your safety matters.

Endorsed for reelection by the Santa Monica Police Officers Association