This past week, Q-line asked:
An article in the Daily Press revealed that crime is on the rise in Santa Monica. The majority of the increase has been fueled by property crimes. Have you been the victim of crime this year? If so, what took place?
Here are your responses:
“No, I have not been the victim of crime per se — at least, not the crimes you mentioned. But I still feel victimized by the many times I have been nearly run over on the sidewalk by bicyclists roaring down the sidewalk — mindless bicyclists — or while crossing the street. They don’t stop for red lights or stop signs. And also having to walk on the filthy, pee and poop littered, spittle and vomit littered from the transients that they leave behind on the sidewalk — disgusting and beyond unhealthy. My sympathies are with the victims of the other devastating crimes that you mentioned.”
“Yes, each time I fill my tank at the automotive gasoline station or shop at a grocery supermarket, I am extorted and my wallet is picked.”
“Do you think anyone in this town is surprised by the increasing crime rate? Look around at the increasing transient population, 24/7. The only safe place will be in low-cost housing, where the city is moving them all in. Drugs are rampant in this town, so they need to rob from the citizens to support their drug habits.”
“I have never been a victim of crime, but I will say that when I read the crime reports in the Daily Press and also in the Mirror, I notice 90 to 95 percent of those people that are picked up for any kind of crime are transients. Now, if we get rid of all the transients, I don’t think there would be much crime in Santa Monica. But as long as the City Council does not want to do that, we’re going to have crime out of this world.”
“Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights has sold us out to tourism and has encouraged bums, crazies and gangs to live here with their homeless programs and low cost housing, all to the detriment of tax-paying residents and homeowners. Worse areas for crime, grime, bums, thieves, noise and traffic are around the main tourist spots, like Downtown, the pier and beach, and all around Main Street. Anyone living next to these tourist traps suffers from this mess they’ve created.”
“Well, a bum spit on me when I didn’t give him any money, so I punched him in the nose.”
“I am the victim of multiple crimes, as we all are in Santa Monica, every day, all year long. Number one: Pollution-causing gridlock, due to ridiculous traffic harming measures. Two: Development, which over-taxes our resources. Three: Incompetent management of the city government, schools and college with analyst bonds and parcel taxes. Four: Vaccuum-cleaners like homeless services sucking in everyone from other cities, which needs the homeless in order to be funded. Five: Leaf blowers sending dirt that covers everything into the air. Six: Drunks disturbing the peace and damaging property at 2 a.m. These crimes and many more can be laid at the feet of our city government. Stop voting the criminals back into office time after time.”
“My beautiful, beautiful beloved roadbike was stolen two weeks ago on Wilshire Boulevard in front of the UCLA medical building between 11th and 12th street. I like to live green, now my bike is gone and I have to use my car.”
“The biggest crime in town this year was the rent control robbing landlords with a 1 percent rent increase.”
