Horsepower of another color
CITY HALL — Looking to address a perceived identity crisis, the Santa Monica Police Department is putting things in black and white.
Gone are the days when new patrol cars are systematically painted white with blue stripes, replaced by the more familiar black-and-white color scheme used by most law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department.
The new paint job, approved by the City Council Tuesday, was recommended by Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. as a way to make officers easily identifiable to not only residents, but also the millions of tourists who visit Santa Monica each year.
Some residents opposed the idea, saying the black and white reminds them too much of the LAPD, which has been plagued over the years by a poor reputation following several high-profile incidents of police abuse and misconduct. They feared the new colors may deter people from approaching police.
Those who voted in favor of the proposal were Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Shriver and councilmem-bers Herb Katz, Pam O’Connor and Richard Bloom.
“What I like about the design is that it is clear — very clear — clean and crisp, and communicates what the vehicle is,” O’Connor said. “There are those who say we should be different, but does that mean we have to paint something different just to stand out? Does that mean we should change the color of our fire trucks?”
Seeing no pressing public safety concern, Councilman Kevin McKeown opposed the change.
Mayor Bob Holbrook and Councilman Ken Genser were not present for the vote.
“I understand the tradition of black and white. I grew up watching “Dragnet” too, but I think we have a good thing going,” McKeown said. “When I see a Big Blue Bus on the road, I feel pride for Santa Monica and I react the same way when I see our police cars … Our distinctive color scheme sets us apart from the other agencies that may be coming here for business.
“I prefer the friendly look of our current blue and white.” The new color scheme was designed after coun-cilmembers requested the city logo be incorporated on all police vehicles. This opened the door for a redesign of the entire vehicle, including the color scheme as well as the size and font of lettering alongside the doors and the rear.
New patrol cars will be black on the hood and front wheel panels as well as the rear. The roof and side doors will be white. The council ordered the words “Santa Monica POLICE” be painted in blue to match the color of the city logo, which will be placed on the front doors near the side mirrors. On the back, “POLICE” will be written in white.
There are no increased costs associated with the redesign of the vehicles, as the new colors will be incorporated as patrol cars are replaced, according to a report prepared by the chief and Kate Vernez, assistant to the City Manger for Governmental Relations.
No more than 40 vehicles will be changed by the end of this fiscal year, the report said, with all vehicles featuring the new colors by June 30, 2009.
Resident Todd Flora said cultural psychologists have proven that black is a menacing color that intimidates people from approaching those who wear it.
“I think our friendly, distinctive blue and white vehicles work for Santa Monica residents who feel more comfortable knowing law enforcement is more approachable and are not turned off by the LAPD-like image that is being proposed,” said Flora, shortly before councilmem-bers voted to approve the change.
Eight-year-old Carrie Manpearl opposed the change as well.
“We are our own city, not Los Angeles,” she said. “I prefer the prettier colors that stand out from other cities.”
City Manager Lamont Ewell, a former fire chief, weighed in on the issue as well, saying he spoke to many residents as well as police officers and came to the conclusion that black and white was the best option, as they are associated with law enforcement more than the current colors. He said it was important to change because of the high number of tourists here who may not be familiar with the blue and white.
Regarding the perception that the change in color would mean SMPD would be lumped together with the LAPD and somehow suffer from that, Ewell replied, “It’s not the color of the vehicles, but the reputation of the organization.”
“We have some of the best men and women in uniform that you can have anywhere in this country working for you, and I think they understand clearly the importance of supporting the community,” Ewell continued. “We will not tolerate any inappropriate behavior with our residents, regardless of the color of the car.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 16, 2006. Read the original PDF.