SMPD Closes 4th Street Between Broadway and Olympic in Santa Monica

Update 10:30 AM November 1: 4th Street is back open and there is no sign of police activity.

We are informed that 4th Street is shut down between Broadway and Olympic in Santa Monica; this includes the area around the Expo Line Station. The official Alert says "Police Activity" is the reason. Here is the entire alert, which as is typical, contains few details:

Westbound 10 freeway 4th street offramp and the area of 4th and Colorado is shut down for police activity.

4th Street is the main North/South street for Downtown Santa Monica, and one would think they wouldn't close it for something unimportant. The 4th Street Offramp leads to the Public Safety building, the headquarters of the Santa Monica Police Department. santa monica high school is across 4th Street, and the closure presented an inconvenience to parents dropping off their children for school on ordinarily crowded streets this morning.

Because of the presence of the Expo line, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (which guards the train), is also present in Santa Monica in that area.