> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Marc Sanschagrin: Bridging gaps - URL: https://www.smdp.com/marc-sanschagrin-bridging-gaps/ - Published: 2004-02-02T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:42:44.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Community, Pico, #archive-import *Community profiles is a weekly series that appears each Monday and delves into the people who live, work and play in Santa Monica.* *By MICHAEL TITTINGER Daily Press Staff Writer* All too often, Marc Sanschagrin finds himself between a rock and a hard place, namely between the Santa Monica Police Department and the Pico Neighborhood Association, for which he serves as a board member. Three years ago, the McKinley Elementary School teacher bought a house in the Pico section of Santa Monica, relocating from Mid-City, and was surprised to find a warm, caring community consisting of virtually every nationality in the book; a like-minded assemblage of hard-working people with a passion for improving schools and improving their community. Sanschagrin said he’s found a community that belies its often negative reputation as the veritable stepchild of Santa Monica, where news accounts of shootings and gang-related incidents splash across front pages with a frequency that doesn’t reflect the true essence of the neighborhood as a whole. Born in Detroit, Sanschagrin relocated to Southern California in the late ’80s and has seen his fair share of changes within the city. It is in the Pico section where things are often static, he admits, something he’d like to see change with improvements to the area’s perception to the outsiders. “I’ve seen changes in other parts of the city,” he said during a sit-down interview during his class’ lunch break on Friday. “But Pico pretty much remains the same, in two ways — one, in its reality, and two, in its facade. We seem to get most of the bad PR.” It was while walking the streets of Pico a couple years back, trying to drum up support for proposed school funding initiatives, that Sanschagrin discovered what he said is the reality of the Pico neighborhood situation. It is not the “black and brown” neighborhood of warring gangs, but a melting pot of working-class neighbors who care deeply about education. Last summer, Sanschagrin was one of eight new members elected to the PNA in a veritable public outcry of “out with the old and in with the new.” Those members swept into office primarily won on the strength of pro-education platforms, as Pico residents blamed the failure of past school funding initiatives on their veteran representatives. What attracted you to get involved with the PNA? “When I was walking the streets and canvassing neighborhoods in support of Measure S, I began to meet people outside my immediate neighborhood. And I didn’t find what you tend to hear in the media — the supposed black lining to a silver cloud. This was a community of warm people. “The Pico area had the highest percentage of ‘yes’ votes on all of the school measures. That told me a lot. This is a working-class neighborhood that historically gets overlooked. I thought I could help change that.” Was this your first foray into politics? “No, I served with the Mid-City Neighbors Association four years ago. I also ran for Council in ’98... lost to (now Mayor) Richard Bloom.” What happened with the board elections this past year, that so many new members were swept into office in such a dramatic fashion? “Well, I think that most people simply felt that the leadership (of the PNA) was out of touch with the constituents, and they voted them out. “I mean, there are some members remaining, those in the second year of a two-year term. I think that a little continuity is good, but there is a large group of first-timers. Basically, there was a large group with an agenda — pro-education activists — and they got seven new members voted onto the board. Actually, I was the only independent candidate to win. “They swept out the old PNA membership because of their vocal and outspoken attempts to defeat the various school bond measures.” To what do you attribute the palpable discord that exists between the PNA and local police? “It’s hard for me to completely understand, but in fairness, most of the members of the board are minorities and I am a white male. They just have a whole different perspective on law enforcement. When I see the police, I feel comforted. They typically do not. I understand the reasons for that, but I don’t necessarily agree with that line of thinking. “When the police come out to our meetings — sometimes they come and sometimes they don’t — they always seem happy to be there and eager to help. I do have a different perspective than many of the other members. There is an obvious disconnect. “Also, the police officers in the city typically don’t live here, and I think that could be a problem. They have a different perspective towards things because they’re not so much a part of the neighborhood and the community. They are here doing a job. “Some feel that when a crime is committed the police just round up the usual suspects. That’s not an opinion I generally share.” Do parents within the Pico district need to hold themselves more accountable for the crimes that are committed, and not just point fingers at the police? “Well, as a parent, a teacher and a neighbor, I’d say parents are absolutely 100 percent responsible for their children and their behavior. Police are there to make the community safe. Parents need to be good role models until their children can internalize all that. And then you see all the truancies and broken curfews and substance abuse... “I’d like to be a bridge between the police force and my neighbors of color who are skeptical of their motives. I feel they are here to do the best job they can. Many question whether they are here just to get an arrest or arrest the right “But I do wonder sometimes why the police can’t tighten the lid on some notorious hot spots in the neighborhood. The same areas are always in the news. Maybe they need to increase their presence in those spots and be more diligent. “We’ve been pretty fortunate in terms of shootings, but there’s going to be a real tragedy one of these days, such as a child getting shot, and then everybody will be pointing fingers. Today, we need to do something about that, before it’s too late. We need to work together — the police need to get out of their cars and the people need to come out of their houses to get rid of this disconnect. What are your feelings on such proposals as the drunk tank that was to be located on Ninth Street and all the other so-called help centers already in Pico? “We seem to get a disproportionate amount of low-income housing and support services. They are certainly more concentrated in Pico than, say, north of Montana (Avenue). It’s geography and zip code. I believe the average family income is the lowest of all the other neighborhood groups. It’s more blue collar, people holding down two jobs. They have less time for civic duties. “If they tried to put something like that (drunk tank) north of Wilshire (Boulevard), there would be such an outcry. And most of the residents there are college-educated and aware how politics work. They would raise a hellstorm. In Pico, the people tend to have less experience with that kind of thing, and less time to do anything about it because it’s more blue collar. They don’t always know how to play the games at City Hall.” What are the most common concerns you are hearing from PNA residents these days? “Oh, it’s the same litany — traffic flow, green space and more accessibility to it, and graffiti.” How will you, this summer, look back and qualify your term— as being successful or not? “This is rewarding work. I just want to find ways to allow different groups of people to be heard. Most of the major problems with the PNA exist because of a lack of communication. People are not listening, and people are not being heard. I just want to help everybody try and understand what it is the other is trying to say. “I see my goal — and this is a young board — as bringing some stability. I know how to run meetings. I just try and keep people civil and, hopefully, with open minds.” Marc Sanschagrin is the parliamentarian for the Pico Neighborhood Association board. He has been a teacher within the Santa Monica- Malibu school district since 1988, and is currently instructing fourth and fifth graders at McKinley Elementary. He also serves as vice president of the local teachers’ union. Age: Declined to give. Residence: Pico Terrace house. Background: Born in Detroit, Mich., moved to Santa Monica in 1992\. Family: Married, two sons, ages 4 and 6. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 2, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)