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The Blue Notebook - A Weekly SMPD Recap August 1-11, 2024
August 14, 2024 1:00 PM
by Erika Aklufi
08/01/2024-08/11/2024
- National Night Out: We are thrilled to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in this year's National Night Out. This annual community-building campaign promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Your enthusiastic participation and support made this event a tremendous success. It was wonderful to see neighbors, families, and friends come together to strengthen our community bonds and foster a sense of unity. We hope to see you all back again next year!
- This week, the Chief, Command Staff, and our SMART Center team met with a field representative for the CA Board of State & Community Corrections (BSCC) Planning and Grant Programs who was at the station to conduct a site visit and evaluate our progress as we utilize our BSCC grant funding to build the department’s Real Time Crime Center.
- The police department recently started publishing a version of this weekly recap on our website. It’s received a great deal of positive feedback with residents and other stakeholders appreciating additional information about the activity and service the police department provides to all who live, work and visit Santa Monica. You can find the most recent edition of The Blue Notebook here.
POLICE
DEPARTMENT statistics for the week
Total Calls for Service (CFS): 2,725 this week. 76,509 YTD (through 8/3).
Source of calls:
- Citizen Initiated: 1,629 this week. 45,893 YTD (60%
of total CFS).
- Officer Initiated: 1096 this week. 30,616 YTD
(40% of total CFS).
- Disposition for CFS: Homeless related = 17%
YTD.
- Encampment Calls: 41 this week. 935 YTD.
- 5150 Calls: 7 this week. 399 YTD.
- Arrests: 58 Total this week. 1,621 YTD.
- Citizen Initiated: 1,629 this week. 45,893 YTD (60%
of total CFS).
Patrol Operations Division
- Hate
Crime – 3200 block of Pico Blvd. Unknown person(s) painted swastika
symbols on the victim’s business sign. A report was taken and forwarded to
the Criminal Investigation Division for follow up.
- Sexual
Assault/Robbery – 1500 Palisades Park. The homeless victim was
forcefully grabbed and pulled into some bushes where he was sodomized and
robbed of his belongings. A report was taken and forwarded to the
Criminal Investigations Division for follow up. The suspect is believed to
be homeless.
- Assault
with Deadly Weapon/Handgun – 00 block of Arcadia Terrace. The victim
confronted the suspect, who was in the process of stealing a bike.
As the suspect walked away, he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the
victim. The victim stopped following him and called the
police. The suspect left prior to police arrival. A
report was taken and forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Division for
follow up.
- Lewd
Activity – 1700 block of Ocean Ave. A group of social media
influencers known for setting up and catching child predators on YouTube
contacted the police and advised them they had a suspect detained for
attempting to contact a minor for sexual purposes. The suspect was
arrested. A report was taken and forwarded to the Criminal
Investigations Division for follow up.
- Felony
Warrant Arrest – 100 block of Pico. Officers stopped a subject for a
Municipal Code violation and determined he had a felony vandalism
warrant. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
- Domestic
Violence – 1900 block of Ocean Way. The suspect (boyfriend) was
engaged in a heated argument with the victim (girlfriend). During
the argument, the suspect punched the victim. Officers took the
suspect into custody without incident.
- Assault
with Deadly Weapon/Knife – 400 block of Colorado. Officers were
flagged down regarding a suspect attempting to stab people with a
knife. The suspect ran from the officers. After a short
distance, the suspect was taken into custody. The knife was
recovered at the scene.
- Sexual Battery – 200 block of Broadway. Officers were in their patrol car at an intersection when they observed the suspect slap the buttocks of a female as she walked past him. Officers took the suspect into custody without incident. The suspect is homeless.
- Commercial Burglary – 1400 Ocean Ave. The suspect made entry into the building and took items from within business. Officers responded and observed the suspect running away from the location. Officers caught up to the suspect and took him into custody. The suspect is homeless.
Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team
HLP Team stats for the week
- 562
Homeless related CFS (19% of total) / YTD is 12,787 Homeless related CFS
(17% of total)
- 41
Total Encampment CFS (935 YTD) -this does not include 311 calls regarding
encampments.
HLP Team Stats
- 98 - Calls
for service
- 21 -
311 requests handled
- 86 -
Self-initiated activity
- 1 -
Felony arrest
- 64 -
Field interviews/advisal’s
- 7 -
Citations
- 83 -
Referrals to services
- 10 -
Encampments addressed
DMH/HLP Clinician Stats
- 3 - 5150 evaluations/mental health holds
Meetings and Collaborations
HLP Team members met with a sergeant, senior lead officer,
and patrol officer from LAPD’s Pacific Division. The meeting established
stronger lines of communication between the two entities, specifically to
address encampment issues along Santa Monica’s southern border.
Notable
Events
- On
8/1/2024 HLP Team members, West Coast Care and Salvation army conducted a
livability operation on the beach area north of the Pier (1500-1200
blocks). Multiple subjects were contacted, advised of violations, referred
to either Project Homecoming and connected to local city resources.
- On
8/2/2024, HLP Team members performed checks of the south beach area
bordering Venice for active encampments and tents. Several contacts were
made and three written advisals were issued. Each contact was advised of
the municipal code violations and educated on the resources available to
them in the city.
- On
8/7/2024, HLP Team Officers observed a large, abandoned collection of
trash on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Euclid. The HOST Team was
contacted and within the hour the trash was removed, and the area cleaned.
- On
8/8/2024 HLP Team members contacted a subject who was in an encampment on
the sidewalk by Main and Colorado. The encampment was preventing
pedestrian movement on the sidewalk. The subject was unwilling to provide
her name and she was subsequently detained for blocking the sidewalk. A
department fingerprint reader was utilized which revealed her name. A
criminal records check revealed she had a warrant for public camping. The
subject was arrested for public camping, blocking the sidewalk, and delaying
a peace officer. During a search incident to arrest it was discovered the
subject had a meth pipe in her possession. The subject was arrested for
the above violations and subsequently placed on a mental health hold (a
“5150 hold”) by the department’s DMH Clinician partner. The subject was
transported to a Downtown medical center.
- On 8/8/2024, HLP Team Officers received an email from a local business owner of the ‘Palms and Paws’ veterinary center. The owner was requesting help with a subject who had been camped in their alley for over a week. HLP Officers contacted the subject and offered resources, unfortunately he refused them. The subject was ultimately issued a citation and he agreed to take his property and leave the location. The remaining trash left by the subject was disposed of by the Mariposa team. Other business owners in the alley expressed their gratitude for the work that was performed.
- On
8/1/2024 HLP Team members, West Coast Care and Salvation army conducted a
livability operation on the beach area north of the Pier (1500-1200
blocks). Multiple subjects were contacted, advised of violations, referred
to either Project Homecoming and connected to local city resources.
Community Affairs Unit (CAU)
Community Affairs Unit
Beat 1
- The
Beat 1 Neighborhood Resource Officer received a complaint from Red O
restaurant on Ocean Avenue. The manager from the location advised that a
vendor was selling t-shirts in front of the restaurant and harassing
customers. The vendor was identified and the NRO advised the Red O
manager of steps to take in the future should the vendor return. NROs
have been conducting extra patrols in the area.
- The Beat 1 NRO and Crime Prevention Coordinator (CPC) attended a Community Corp Santa Monica (CCSM) walk-through at a building on Lincoln Blvd. The purpose of the walk thru was to identify any security concerns for the building. During the walk-through some issues were observed. The CPC will forward the information to CCSM and assist with solutions.
Beat 2
- The
Beat 2 NRO and CPC attended a Neighborhood Watch Meeting for residents
living on the 2100 block of Marine Street to address general complaints
involving catalytic converter thefts, residential burglaries and general
safety. Crime statistics were shared, and questions answered.
- The
Beat 2 NRO and CPC attended a Neighborhood Watch Meeting for residents
living at the 1300 block of Grant Street. Most complaints revolved around
homelessness, vehicle burglaries / thefts and asked about resources
available to residents. Residents were very appreciative and inquired
if meetings could be conducted on a regular basis.
- The
Beat 2 and Beat 3 NROs met with residents in a multi-unit apartment
complex on Pico Blvd. They complained of children being loud and
being disruptive. They were referred to the Community Corp SM
administrator to file complaints on other tenants. They were also
instructed to call police dispatch (emergency and non-emergency) regarding
any confrontations with any tenants.
Beat 3
- The
Beat 3 NRO received a request from a synagogue asking for assistance in
August with the transportation of their Torah due to security
concerns. Community Affairs will be assisting with traffic control
for the two-block escort.
- NRO
Galvan spoke with a resident in the 1400 block of Princeton regarding a
subject on a dirt bike speeding and doing wheelies up and down the
street. The resident was asked to call dispatch when this occurs,
and NRO’s will be completing periodic checks in the area.
- NRO
Galvan received a complaint from residents in the 1200 block of 17th St.
regarding trash left on their private property from a transient. The
residents were told the city cannot remove trash from private property and
they could dispose of the trash however they felt appropriate. NROs
will be checking with Code Enforcement to see if anything further can be
done.
Beat 4
- The
Beat 4 NRO handled a reoccurring issue around 7th Street and
Arizona Avenue of suspicious subjects seen walking by a residence. One
subject appears to drop an unknown item in front of the yard. The NRO was
unable to find any evidence of a crime.
- The
Beat 4 NRO trained two new hires for a segment in the New Hire Orientation
explaining the roles of NROs and Community Affairs.
Authored By
Erika Aklufi
Lieutenant