> ## 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.

# Readers sound off on city safety question
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/readers-sound-off-on-city-safety-question/
- Published: 2003-04-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:05:55.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Promenade, #archive-import, Homeless

Last Sunday, Q-line asked: “Do you think Santa Monica is a safe place to live? Why or why not?”

Here are your responses: ■ “Despite an enormous increase in police funding, crime is on the rise. Since we can no longer hear the scanner calls or access arrest records from the Web site, it is all together possible that reporting is down as well. We still don’t have community policing. The Pico Neighborhood only gets response to gunfire. Chief Butts conveniently breaks his staff into small task forces, limiting responsibility to act on crime. Try to get something done about the homeless or graffiti and you will be referred to a series of recordings and voice mails that are never responded to. Personnel is never available when the crimes occur. Rather than attempting to prevent further acts public relations personnel are dispatched to lecture the victims and community about how they should get involved, rather than explain why police resources are not dispatched in the first place. The last two time I called for service, no one showed up for over an hour. The first time I called dispatch, they explained that the officers were unable to locate me, apparently, because they don’t live in the city. They need to buy a Thomas Guide. The second time, the officer showed up after 90 minutes, looked at the vandalism, shrugged and drove off. But what would you expect from a city run by SMRR?” ■ “No I do not think Santa Monica is a safe place to live. There are a lot of bums in the street and the lighting is poor. I also don’t think the Promenade has enough patrolling at night. I understand a group of girls got their throats slit a couple of years ago in the park area. Rapes are up. People are afraid to go out of their houses.” ■ “Santa Monica has become a crime-infested city. Thanks to our City Council for inviting the transients to harass and commit crimes against taxpayers. That and the fact that the police department could care less about our safety and more about their salaries. Santa Monica is a dangerous place to live. Get out before it is too late!” ■ “I think Santa Monica is one of the safest cities that I have lived in so far. I’ve been homeless for about a year now. I started in Salt Lake City and went to Vegas, San Bernardino and now here. This has been by far the safest and most courteous city ever.” ■ “YES. Santa Monica is safe. Santa Monica has an excellent police department. In my opinion Santa Monica is safer than most cities considering the constant influx of visitors and traffic, especially on summer weekends. Still a person’s safety depends on the prudence and practices of the individual and their capability of staying our of harm’s way. Only fools rush into high crime areas. A person’s motto should be, “Stay alert, stay alive.” ■ “Santa Monica would be a safe place to live if it were not for the landlords constant threatening and harassment tactics for the rent-controlled units.” ■ “I do not think Santa Monica is a safe place to live because the police have consistently hassled me and made my life miserable. See the press clippings for proof.” ■ “Is Santa Monica safe? Relative to what? It is certainly not as safe as it was in 1950 and 1975\. Since SMRR control of the city and the ongoing effort to make this the homeless capital of the United States it is not as safe as it once was.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 25, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/042503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)