Santa Monica's Chief of Police Ramon Batista Has Failed To Protect Santa Monica

August 1, 2024 - It's been almost three years since Santa Monica's Chief of Police Ramon Batista said he would provide Santa Monica with "unparalleled public safety."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ups05Sdpv3U&ab_channel=CityofSantaMonica

But I get yelled at by drug addicts almost every day. I'll be walking down Montana Avenue – Ocean, 7th Street, Idaho, 2nd Street, Santa Monica, Wilshire, 4th Street, Main Street, The Promenade, The Beach Strand – and some crazy drug addict yells at me aggressively.

The reason these drug addicts are so aggressive is because they're taking Methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is a drug which makes you act crazy and go to jail.

Here are some numbers from San Diego's substance abuse monitoring program to help illustrate this point:

58% of male arrestees were high on methamphetamine at the time of their arrest in 2021.

48% of female arrestees were high on methamphetamine at the time of their arrest in 2021.

https://www.sandag.org/-/media/SANDAG/Documents/PDF/data-and-research/criminal-justice-and-public-safety/evaluation-services/drugs/in-brief-meth-use-by-arrestees-2022-11-17.pdf

Santa Monica's Chief of Police Ramon Batista is allowing the Venice Family Clinic to distribute needles and meth pipes in Santa Monica's Parks and public spaces, right in front of the SMPD. Methamphetamine addicts from across the country have moved to Santa Monica to take advantage of Chief Batista's policy. These Methamphetamine addicts are smoking and slamming meth in broad daylight, and then assaulting people.

Meanwhile, there's a new officer on Santa Monica's Police Department who has been using his patrol truck's megaphone to yell at dog moms in Palisades Park who have their dogs off leash.

What the heck?

Why don't the SMPD yell at the meth heads assaulting everyone?

Why don't the SMPD tell Chief Batista "Stop the distribution of needles and meth pipes in Santa Monica's parks and public spaces."

Everyone I know who lives in Santa Monica has been harassed, robbed or assaulted. Several of my friends have been brutally assaulted and hospitalized with very serious injuries. Most Santa Monica business owners are harassed, assaulted and robbed regularly. Santa Monica tourists are also regularly harassed, robbed and assaulted.

Santa Monica's Chief of Police Ramon Batista has failed to provide Santa Monica with "unparalleled public safety." He's made a mockery out of the Santa Monica Police Department and he's overseeing a public safety catastrophe.

Some locals have told me that Chief Batista might be "hamstrung" by Santa Monica's City Manager David White. In other words, Chief Batista can't do his job properly without David White firing him.

If that's the case then Chief Batista needs to raise his voice or resign.