July 31, 2024

Dear Editor,

I read all three parts of Marc Verville’s “Opinion: Santa Monica is Not Safe,” hoping for evolved insight (PART I, PART II and PART III).

Shouting from the rooftops “Santa Monica is not safe!” does residents no favors. Such scare-mongering is absolutely destructive to small businesses and our efforts at economic recovery.

Using fear as a motivator is a desperate, empty tactic when the best solution the author can offer is more of the same under Brock, Parra, and de la Torre. The incumbents up for re-election this year were woefully unable to deliver what they pledged in 2020. After four years in office, Brock, Parra, and de la Torre have a full-term achievement gap.

Meanwhile, auditor Verville exemplifies a man with a hammer thinking everything is a nail. If more money in the police budget is the sole answer, you’d think he’d vociferously support the resident-sparing visitor parking tax for public safety that will be on November’s ballot. Otherwise, what valued City services would we cannibalize?

Shoveling scarce money into the hurried hiring of police may let Cody Green’s politically active Police Officers Association swell in membership, but not be so swell for residents who want compassion, peace, and safety. Rushed recruits with inadequate training could compromise the level of excellence Santa Monicans expect from our police force.

Police Chief Batista has specified the resources he needs, and more officers are only part of it. Results-committed candidates like Dan Hall (“Stick to the Facts") support the Chief and will work with him Trumpeting “Santa Monica is not safe!” works against the community goals most of us share.