By Jorge Casuso

April 9, 2025 -- The City Council on Tuesday voted to explore ways to make the beach safer late at night in the wake of several deaths but stopped short of backing a curfew.

The 6 to zero vote, with one Councilmember abstaining, directs the City Attorney to contact the California Coastal Commission to determine what the State agency would allow.

The Attorney's office would also submit an information request to find out what other coastal cities are considering doing to limit beach access late at night.

Mayor Lana Negrete, who co-sponsored the discussion item, said there has been "even more crime" over the past 24 months on Santa Monica State Beach, including "murders, rapes and accidental deaths" ("Homicide Victim Found on Beach," February 10, 2025).

She noted a curfew would also limit the City's liability in the event work crews accidentally run over someone sleeping on the beach in the dark ("Homeless Woman Run Over, Killed on Beach," October 18, 2024).

Councilmember Jesse Zwick, who also sponsored the discussion item, said he shared Negrete's concerns.

"We've had two, perhaps three people, who have been run over sleeping on the beach," he said. "It's been quit endemic in a way that has been very concerning to me."

The majority of the Councilmembers worried that a curfew could be used as a tool to drive homeless individuals from the beach at night.

"I would like to limit this to our operational needs to limit our liabilities," said Councilmember Dan Hall.

"I generally don't like tools used to make unhoused people feel uncomfortable in the hopes they'll go somewhere else."

Negrete said there are often shelter beds available but some homeless individuals are reluctant to sleep indoors.

"It's not to be cruel," Negrete said, "but rather to keep those folks out of harm."

Most of the Councilmembers opposed "full closure" of the beach late at night, noting the Coastal Commission would most likely not allow it.

Councilmember Ellis Raskin, who abstained from voting, noted that efforts by former Mayor Phil Brock to impose a curfew four years ago failed and that Coastal Commission officials have said a "total beach closure would not be consistent with the Coastal Act."

Several Councilmembers favored more narrowly tailoring the closures, perhaps choosing specific locations to impose a curfew.

Hall, who served as Pier Board chair, said the Pier would be a logical place for a curfew to deter trespassers, who sometimes light fires around the wooden structure at night.

"We need to protect the public safety of the Pier and police officers who have to crawl around over there to remove trespassers," Hall said.

Councilmember Caroline Torosis, who made the successful motion, said the City should "make sure (its) not running afoul of the law and not make it look like we're just trying to sweep up homeless people."

Negrete, however, cautioned the Council "could be putting ourselves in a box" by going to the Coastal Commission "with our own roadblocks."