July 14, 2026

Dear Editor,

SMPD deserves three cheers for increasing arrests and suppressing crime here.

Local politicians, including City Council members, State representatives, County Supervisors, and elected judges, will determine what comes next: continued progress or a relapse into out-of-control crime.

Public records show SMPD, now with more resources, arrested over 350 lawbreakers in Santa Monica in June alone. Year-to-date arrests have increased by a high double-digit percentage.

About 1/3 of the June arrests were drug-related and, among them, about 3/4 yielded other charges as well, including both violent felonies and misdemeanors.

For example, June drug arrestees were also charged with Robbery, Burglary, Arson, Assault Likely to Cause Great Bodily Harm, Firearm Violations, Other Weapons Violations, Grand Theft, Mail Fraud, Felony Parole Violations, Resisting Arrest, and Shoplifting with 2+ Priors, along with various charges related to schools and minors, among others.

Further, about 1/4 of June arrestees in Santa Monica were repeat offenders, including for Felony Parole and Probation violations and Bench Warrants. Parole or Probation violations indicate early release from state prison or county jail after a criminal conviction. Bench Warrants indicate one or more previous arrests.

So this recent data show drug users and repeat offenders commit most of the crime here. June arrests included a drug-abusing shoplifter also arrested for preventing a bystander from calling police. He was released the next day after having been arrested and released twice the previous month. Another, arrested for robbery and warrants, was released from jail after two days, despite a long list of previous arrests. Two others were arrested for felony parole violations.

And how do local politicians stimulate this?

In part, via policies that attract drug-addled criminals to Santa Monica, instead of to less welcoming jurisdictions. Council member Caroline Torosis, for example, consistently supported an LA County program to distribute free narcotics syringes near playgrounds in Santa Monica parks. Torosis is up for re-election this November.

Among state representatives, Santa Monica Assembly member Rick Zbur has a long history of criminal-friendly behavior. (Yes, this is the same Zbur who introduced a bill that would allow billionaire developers to run wild on Santa Monica’s coastline.)

Zbur’s out-of-step criminal-friendly antics include attempting to help criminal home invaders (introduced AB 1133), opposing tougher penalties for child-sex traffickers (blocking SB14 in Assembly committee), and legislative stunts designed to prevent voters from approving Proposition 36, which increased penalties for retail theft and drug abuse.

And what about elected judges? Judges grant releases and review recommendations from the LA County Probation department. (The County Board of Supervisors, led by Santa Monica Board of Supervisors representative Lindsey Horvath, appoints the head of the Probation department.)

While finding information about judicial candidates is notoriously difficult, some information does exist.

The LA County Bar Association rates judicial candidate qualifications, including a few rated “Not Qualified.”

Beyond that, reviewing candidate endorsements can yield valuable clues.

Organizations such as The LA County Public Defenders Union (Local 148), La Defensa, and the Santa Monica Democratic Club, which all endorsed George Gascon and supported “defunding police” (sometimes termed “reallocating” funds away from police), often endorse crime-tolerant judges.

The local Public Defenders Union and La Defensa also opposed AB 46, which grants judges more leeway in sentencing violent offenders, and was recently signed into law.

Meanwhile, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA), the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), and the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) often endorse more prosecution-minded judges. Comparing the endorsements of such varied organizations can be helpful.

In short, a better-resourced SMPD is doing a stellar job suppressing crime, but November’s election will either help or harm their efforts.

Sincerely,

Peter DiChellis
Santa Monica