By Jorge Casuso

March 26, 2026 -- Serious crime fell by 12.5 percent in Santa Monica last year, reaching the lowest level in at least a decade, according to the Police Department's annual crime report released Wednesday.

Incidents of serious crime dropped from 4,793 in 2024 to 4,194 last year, with larceny -- which includes thefts from vehicles and shoplifting -- continuing to account for a significant majority of the crimes.

Meanwhile, total arrests spiked from 2,804 in 2024 to 3,446 last year, a 22.9 percent jump. Of those, 2,804 arrests, or 52 percent, involved the homeless, up from 1,622 last year.

The marked increase in arrests was the result of proactive policing, as calls for service decreased from 128,848 in 2024 to 124,848, while officer initiated calls rose.

The trend was reflected in traffic citations. An immediate focus of the newly seated City Council, the number of citations issued more than doubled -- from 2,835 in 2024 to 5,723 last year, a 102 percent increase, according to the report.

"These trends reflect an increase in officer-initiated activity and earlier intervention, rather than reliance on reactive response," the report stated.

"Under the leadership of Chief Darrick Jacob, (SMPD) continued implementing a more proactive, prevention-focused policing model" that "emphasized visible patrol" and "consistent presence in locations generating repeated calls for service."

Reported incidents of serious crime were down across the board,
with larceny accounting for 63 percent of all serious crime. The 2,654 incidents reported last year represented a -9 percent decrease from the 2,927 incidents reported in 2024.

In addition to shoplifting and theft from vehicles, larceny -- which was not specified in the report or broken down by type of incident -- includes theft from buildings and theft of auto parts.

Burglary represented the second largest number of incidents, with 593, down from 742 in 2024, a 20 percent decrease, followed by grand theft auto, which dropped from 469 to 380, a -19 percent decrease.

Aggravated assaults were down from 378 incidents reported to 329 (-13 percent), incidents of robbery were down from 188 to 142 (-24 percent), and arson decreased from 63 to 53 incidents.

The number of rapes reported also decreased from 45 to 39, while the number of murders decreased from 6 to 4.

The murder victims last year were a homeless man who was fatally shot in a Downtown alley, a homeless woman who was beaten to death on the beach, a man who was fatally stabbed Downtown and a celebrated singer who was fatally stabbed by his son at home.

In 2025, officers conducted more than 1,400 drug and narcotic-related enforcement actions, "most of which were identified through proactive patrol rather than calls for service," the report said.

"These efforts reflect a focus on addressing underlying activity that can contribute to broader public safety concerns."

Meanwhile, the 1,182 additional homeless arrests last year "reflects concentrated activity in public spaces and repeated contacts involving individuals generating ongoing calls for service," according to the report.

"Enforcement actions are based on behavior that impacts public safety, accessibility, and community standards -- not housing status," the report said.

"This work continues to occur alongside coordination with outreach providers and service partners to support longer-term solutions."