A chronicle by the Santa Monica Coalition of the truth about life on our streets
Santa Monica's City Council thinks the city is just fine. One councilmember called the homeless residents our neighbors, their wants and desires equivalent to those of people who pay rent and pay taxes. The 'freedom' of some, most of whom suffer from drug addiction and mental illness, to live in filth, disease and to commit crimes with impunity, is valued over the ability of the rest of society to live healthy lives in law and order.
Watch the videos shot and distributed by the Santa Monica Coalition, a different one each day, to see what is actually happening in a city that is no longer a magnet for tourists and shoppers.
The Santa Monica Coalition is a movement comprised of Santa Monica residents, business owners, and locals that addresses the humanitarian crisis, public safety concerns, the rising crime, and the current lack of responsiveness from the City of Santa Monica.
September 5 2024 Santa Monica Coalition Mini Documentary
Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade and Downtown are one of the most dangerous shopping and dining venues in all of California. You have a 1 in 19 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Santa Monica. A crime rate 131 percent higher than the national average. 90% of ground floor retail stores experience walk-in theft multiple times every month. There are "a reported" 66 rapes and 500 stabbings and assaults per 100,000 people. On average, 5 people overdose or die on the street per week. Yet 2 former Downtown SM Board Members, Ericka Lesley and Barry Snell, think they can do even better now running for City Council. The same ones who want to keep District Attorney George Gascon and stated they do NOT want armed law enforcement on the Promenade. And City Manager David White says if we have more Police presence, residents and visitors will have to give up City Services. Promenade business owners want to get rid of DTSM, Inc. Residents want District Elections. But the City Manager, 3 Councilmembers, a Cypress Equities developer and special interests on the DTSM Board manage to use millions of dollars in tax funds and assessments against us.
Reader Comments(4)
jean writes:
Santa Monica had issues before and did nothing. Are we forgetting that food distribution use to happen on the promenade and the upper park? No one complained then and that was a huge issue for the businesses. Seems like now that it is bothering those outside of the promenade plus the promenade is losing money everyone cares. The issue should have been handled years ago.
05/20/2024, 11:19 am
Jack writes:
To the citizens of Venice & Santa Monica, you get the environment you voted for. Want better ? Then vote your representatives out !
04/11/2024, 3:01 pm
donthaveone writes:
The promenade should be filled with people shopping and eating but it's a ghost town! So sad how they have ruined our Santa Monica!
12/22/2023, 8:58 am
SurfLawyer writes:
I've been reading the Observer for years. I've come to like these daily crime videos. The other items I can see in many sites, but this is great.
11/20/2023, 3:37 pm