{"id":8701045,"date":"2022-12-29T11:38:56","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T19:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8701045&preview=true&preview_id=8701045"},"modified":"2022-12-29T12:24:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T20:24:45","slug":"santa-monica-is-not-safe-sign-on-third-street-promenade-tells-a-complex-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/12\/29\/santa-monica-is-not-safe-sign-on-third-street-promenade-tells-a-complex-story\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Santa Monica is not safe\u2019 sign on Third Street Promenade tells a complex story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lupe Gonzalez has lived in Santa Monica for more than 30 years and always considered her neighborhood safe. Earlier this year, she got a new job as a store manager at Sand \u2019n Surf shop on Third Street Promenade and was surprised to witness police officers patrolling the area several times a day, and downtown \u201cambassadors\u201d greeting visitors and reporting suspicious activities.<\/p>\n

The owner of the store where Gonzalez works felt safe enough to let the store\u2019s security guard go.<\/p>\n

But when she began closing up the store at night, Gonzalez dreaded her short walks home \u2014 passing dark alleys, empty storefronts and encountering people with mental health issues. She considered buying pepper spray to protect herself.<\/p>\n

When earlier this month a large sign went up on a vacant storefront on Third Street Promenade reading \u201cSanta Monica is not safe. Crime \u2026 depravity \u2026 outdoor mental asylum,\u201d she felt conflicted about her beloved neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a woman, I don\u2019t feel safe here,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cI love my city and for me to say that \u2018I don\u2019t feel safe\u2019 is a lot \u2014 because I want people to still come to Santa Monica without feeling they are not safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sand'n
Sand\u2019n Surf shop manager Lupe Gonzalez has lived in Santa Monica for more than 30 years and now dreads her short walks home passing dark alleys, empty storefronts and encountering people with mental health issues. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gonzales is not alone in her complex feelings about the beloved and increasingly dense beach town.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez said she suspected the increase in people with mental health issues worsened during the pandemic when she noticed more tents and makeshift shelters scattered along sidewalks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been afraid to walk in my own neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cBut recently I see many people with mental health issues here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez wondered whether the proximity of the E Line, which ends near the Third Street Promenade, contributes to the problem. Just recently, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, considered reviewing a policy<\/a> that requires commuters to get off the last trains at end-of-the-line stations at about 1 a.m., when the lines shut down for the night so the transit cars can be cleaned.<\/p>\n

The policy applies to the Metro E Line which ends in Santa Monica, where homeless individuals who often sleep on the line must get off at day\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

\"Metro
Metro E Line light rail trains cross Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 14, 2022, and the line ends in Santa Monica. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Santa Monica Coalition, a group of homeowners, renters, and business owners\u00a0 posted a sign similar to the one on Third Street Promenade on its website<\/a>. They are demanding that city leaders \u201cfund law enforcement, create new improved services for the mentally ill and addicted living on our streets.\u201d<\/p>\n

City of Santa Monica spokeswoman Constance Farrell said, \u201cit\u2019s sad that a small group of landlords is working against our collective success through signage at the very moment when small businesses are welcoming holiday customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city, she added, \u201cplaces the highest value on community safety. Our police department is successfully preventing and addressing crime in our downtown every day through increased patrols and the hiring of nearly 30 new officers this calendar year.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted that the city added new private security resources for the downtown area and parking structures.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe care deeply about the success of Santa Monica businesses,\u201d Farrell said.<\/p>\n

According to data compiled by the nonprofit news organization Crosstown at USC Annenberg<\/a>, the crime rate has spiked in Santa Monica since the beginning of the year from 528 criminal offenses in January to 683 in September. Crosstown has moved Santa Monica up in crime level ranking, to 123 \u2014 still low on its list of the Los Angeles area.<\/p>\n

Still, the City of Santa Monica reported in May that its homeless population has declined by 11% from 907 in 2020 to 807 in 2022.<\/p>\n