Dear Editor,

Law-abiding residents of Los Angeles County are rightfully fed up with criminal-friendly District Attorney George Gascon, who has trailed badly in re-election polling.

But I wonder whether Santa Monica voters realize how many City Council candidates here stubbornly support Gascon, a sure indicator those candidates would undermine safety in our city (“Major Political Establishment Groups to Field United Council Slate,” June 27, 2024).

For example, the four candidates endorsed by the Santa Monica Democratic Club—Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, and Natalya Zernitskaya—stated, in writing, they support Gascon’s re-election, with Zernitskaya adding, preposterously, that she believes Gascon “is doing a great job” despite opposition that has “misrepresented his positions.”

Sure, and the Titanic did a “great job” of navigating the iceberg.

Here’s a peek at the plunge into criminal chaos these four City Council candidates support:

After his first 100 days in office Gascon stated he had “instituted a series of reforms based on data and science that will enhance safety” and the “dated approach” his policies were replacing created more crime.

Yet California Department of Justice statistics show both violent and property crimes have increased in LA County since Gascon became the District Attorney. And crime continues to rise in Santa Monica as well.

How can one “misrepresent” that? Indeed, the CA DOJ findings expose the misrepresentation some Gascon supporters offer that he is simply doing what he said he’d do. Really? Since when did he say he’d increase crime?

And how about this doozy:

Gascon appointed as his chief of staff a former public defender and zealous “defund-the-police” advocate who had admitted to looting during the LA riots and warned on social media not to bother her (“don’t text me SHIT”) about “your beloved Santa Monica” during the 2020 looting and rioting in our downtown.

Yet candidates Hall, Raskin, Snell, and Zernitskaya support Gascon’s criminal-empowering drivel. Perhaps not surprising, considering the Santa Monica Democratic Club endorses those four as well as Gascon, and its president openly called for defunding the Santa Monica Police while speaking at a City Council meeting.

Ironically, his call for “defunding” cited similar actions by the cities of Minneapolis and Los Angeles, both of which subsequently restored police funding after experiencing quick and brutal crime spikes. Foresight, anyone?

And it’s not just the Santa Monica Democratic Club that endorses these four crime-friendly candidates but also Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, apparently indifferent that Santa Monica renters surely represent a colossal share of crime victims here.

After all, renters comprise about 70% of Santa Monica residents and therefore are harmed by anti-police and pro-criminal policies as much as anyone who lives here, perhaps even more considering some types of crime befall residents in multi-family buildings more than in single-family ones and apartment renters often must rely on public areas such as parks for outdoor space.

A retired criminal-courts judge, who oversaw cases of murder, robbery, attempted murder, carjacking, kidnapping, and child rape, ran against Gascon in the March primary. He now endorses Gascon’s opponent in the November election, and said of Gascon:

“He only investigates or brings charges after embarrassing media coverage and enormous public pressure,” adding that the “role of the District Attorney is to protect the public without waiting for the media to force him to do his job.”

Gascon’s leniency has benefited a long list of violent criminals who then proceeded to commit additional crimes. In short, dangerous criminals have flourished under Gascon, including here in Santa Monica ("Theft, Assaults Drove Increase in Crime Last Year,” February 14, 2024).

That’s far from a “doing a great job” based on a promise to “enhance safety.”

Sadly, four candidates for our Santa Monica City Council—Hall, Raskin, Snell, and Zernitskaya—support more of the same.

Sincerely,