The Santa Monica Police Department places the highest priority on public safety and understands there may be concerns about the possibility of any kind of disruption during the week of our national elections. Currently, we have no intelligence to indicate Santa Monica will be a place of unrest. However, we also know that things can change rapidly and are actively monitoring the situation.
Over the last several weeks, the Santa Monica Police Department has been working with our local and regional partners in preparation for any unrest surrounding the election. Additionally, the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) have plans in place that include a robust staffing model and have coordinated with the Office of Emergency Management to have an activation plan for the entire City. The police department will be working closely with our city partners throughout the next few weeks to ensure we provide the highest level of public safety.
There are very strict guidelines when in terms of police presence at polling locations. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department will be working with the LA County Registrar’s Office to handle security issues at ballot boxes and polling locations. It is our job to support the process and ensure everyone participates without consternation about our voting system.
Beginning October 30, the community will see an elevated police presence throughout the city. Our visibility should not cause alarm and is dedicated to swiftly intercede with any type of criminal activity. We have received questions about reinforcing storefronts. As a Police Department, we cannot tell business what to do when it comes to boarding up. However, we understand the need to feel secure and we respect your decisions on how to handle your day to day operations. If you choose to board up your business or want to have the materials ready to do so, we support you. If things change, we will be working with our city partners and media outlets to get the word out as quickly as possible. To stay informed with the latest information, we strongly urge you to register for the City emergency alert system, email outreach, and/or follow the City’s official social media channels.
If you have any information you feel is useful to the Santa Monica Police Department, please contact us at smtips@santamonica.gov . We are actively monitoring and carefully vetting all information we receive.
Submitted by Lieutenant Joseph A. Cortez
