Santa Monica Participates in National Night Out Against Crime With Displays Near City Hall

Santa Monica took part in the National Night Out Against Crime Tuesday August 6 2024, with an exhibition in front of City Hall Tuesday evening, August 7th. Various equipment was on display.

What does the SMPD Mobile Command Center do? "It's for when there's a critical incident over an extended duration of time," said one officer.

"We utilize the Mobile Command Center for high-risk calls," said Lt. Erika Aklufi, "including search warrants, within the city where we need to set up a command post in the field for planning and coordination of officers within a perimeter. This is a rare occurrence, maybe a couple of times each year. We also use the Mobile Command Center to connect with residents and visitors, parking it at the beach, in a park, or in the downtown footprint for community engagement purposes."

Another vehicle on display was called the Bearcat. I told the officer displaying it that when I see one in my neighborhood, I walk the other way.

A woman pets SMPD horses during National Night Out in front of City Hall

"The Bearcat vehicle looks scary. But it's actual a defensive tool a way for us to perform operations safely. Defensive, because it allows us to not have to resort to other methods that are less safe. When we park it in front of a vehicle, or in front of a house, we can have our quick reaction force inside, or EMS for our medical needs if needed."

Officer Michel trains younger police officers how to safely ride their motorcycles and perform traffic stops. He says that a well trained officer can safely perform his duties on the two wheeled vehicle, even in Santa Monica traffic

One tracked vehicle was clearly not intended for an officer to ride along.

"This is one of our robots. It's a versatile tool that gives us information about what's inside a structure without putting an officer in there. We also have aerial drones. It's a safe way to gain information without officers having to enter."

Devid Ganezer

The Bearcat permits SMPD to approach a situation safely.

General NNO information

"NNO is an annual community-building campaign," said the SMPD in a press release, "that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, aimed at making our neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live."

"This year's National Night out theme: "Past, Present, and Future!" will have an 80s/90s nostalgia theme, filled with reminiscent snacks and games. We will be showcasing historic PD items, displaying our current technology, and also presenting our plans for the future. "