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# Vagrants, city administration deserve one another
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/vagrants-city-administration-deserve-one-another-editor/
- Published: 2006-04-04T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:29:15.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By Jackie Cruz Santa Monica*

The recent attack on the Ocean Park Librarian is just the tip of the iceberg for what residents in Santa Monica have been putting up with for years. Unfortunate that the attack occurred but it is getting worse. The libraries are not the only places in the city where this kind of out-of-control behavior is going on.

Residents in the older apartment buildings on a routine basis have to deal with transients using the parking areas, alleys and semi-public and open private property areas as their domain to use drugs, urinate, defecate, drink, camp, prostitute themselves, etc., and generally threaten residents and visitors when approached.

The police say to call them when a problem happens, but transients know the game. They know when they are confronted to take off and come back later. The police can’t really do anything unless they see a crime taking place, and even if they do see it, the perpetrators are let out of jail in a day or a week and then they are back, knowing that the police are not really there to enforce. Previous incidents like this have been occurring in the parks too, especially Reed Park, Memorial Park and along Ocean Avenue. Clearly the City Council’s policies create rules and conditions for these kinds of incidents to happen. When residents have brought these issues up at City Council meetings, councilmember Kevin McKeown’s response has been vagrants have rights too and that the council knows what’s best for residents. Councilman Ken Genser has said the problem is not really that bad. Councilman Richard Bloom said they might not be that nice to look at but they are basically harmless and just call the police because they are there to enforce. Councilwoman Pam O’Connor says and does nothing. The bottom line is that a majority of the City Council just does not want to seriously take on the problem and clean up this city — like Giuliani did in New York. Clearly it’s time for residents to speak at the ballot box and say were fed up with this, were not taking it any more, we’re voting for new leadership.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 4, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040406.pdf?ref=smdp.com)