S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
June 10 – June 16, 2022 Volume CXLIV, Issue 148
INSIDE Two Santa Monica Recreation Employees Named Hometown Heroes by the Red Cross for Life Saving Efforts PAGE 7
Poll Shows Support for Boosting Downtown Santa Monica Security DTSM doubles down on ambassador program BY SAM CATANZARO AND DOLORES QUINTANA A recent push poll shows support for City Councilmember Phil Brock’s call to replace Downtown Santa Monica’s Inc’s (DTSM) safety ambassadors with security guards. DTSM, however, says this is not on the table, and has extended the contract for the ambassador program. The survey–conducted by SaMoPulse– polled 170 “civically engaged” Santa Monica residents, contacted between May 19 and May 25. The poll was sent to almost 1,000 residents with a response rate around 17 percent. 85 percent of respondents thought that Brock’s plan– to replace Downtown safety ambassadors with security guards and 24-hour police patrols– would decrease crime in the Downtown Santa Monica area. Only nine percent did not believe that the idea would reduce crime and another six percent were unsure. On May 1, citing safety concerns stemming from homelessness around the Promenade, Brock called for the dissolution of the Downtown Santa Monica Inc board, in addition to private security forces in
the area. Downtown Santa Monica Inc is the non-profit organization tasked with managing the Downtown Santa Monica area. “I fully support the removal of the safety ambassador team as constituted and that they immediately be replaced by a high quality, armed private security force and both armed and unarmed details of the SMPD be placed there,” Brock wrote in an email in which he made the announcement. “Having homeless outreach and security coverage on a 10-hour day coverage plan is insufficient when the problems of our downtown are 24-hour-a-day issues.” “I am not asking for a militarized downtown, but what I am asking for is a downtown that feels safe enough for our residents to walk, bicycle and drive to that will be clean and safe for everyone in the city,” Brock added during a phone call with the Mirror in May. Brock in the phone interview refined his stance on whether or not the private security force needs to be armed. “It doesn’t matter if it’s armed,” Brock told the Santa Monica Mirror. “What I was looking for was a security force that will be more present, that will give the police more help and that will be more highly trained. So when I looked at the private security forces Beverly Hills is using, and also some of the homeowners on the beachfront are using, most of them are either retired or off-duty police officers. So they have had
significantly more training and would be more capable of doing their job.” In the wake of Brock’s announcement, DTSM has announced that ending the ambassador program is “not on the table” and that the organization is extending its ambassador contract. “Recently, there have been calls to eliminate our dedicated, effective, compassionate and loyal ambassadors. We are here to say that this is not on the table,” wrote Barry Snell, DTSM Chair in an OpEd. “In fact, the DTSM Board of Directors, which is composed of an equal number
of City Council-appointed and Property Owner-elected members, is extending our ambassador contract with Block by Block, a nationally recognized leader in the industry with ambassador programs in nearly every major city in the country. They have a tremendous wealth of experience and have provided valuable insights as it pertains to addressing quality of life issues and homeless outreach. We have used those insights to make adjustments to deployment schedules and staffing levels so we can be more effective.”
Officials Warn of Ecstasy Pills Contaminated With Fentanyl as Three Santa Monica Students Recover From Overdose Warning comes after three SMMUSD students recover from overdose BY SAM CATANZARO Officials are warning of a large number of ecstasy pills laced with fentanyl that have entered the Los Angeles drug market. The warning comes as three Santa Monica Unified School District students recover from an overdose after taking drugs contaminated with the powerful synthetic opioid. According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), on May 24 around 11:00 p.m., police and fire personnel responded to a report of a possible overdose at an apartment building. The overdose took place on the 2000 block of 20th Street, in the area near Virginia Avenue Park.
“Three female juveniles, believed to have experienced a drug overdose, were transported to a local hospital by SMFD to be treated,” the SMPD said. Officials said that as of June 3 the three victims are all recovering from this incident. According to officials, the three teens snorted crushed-up tablets they thought to be ecstasy. The tables were ordered from an online dealer and in addition to fentanyl, were laced with a still-unidentified substance. The victims all required breathing tubes and naloxone to combat the overdose. Following this incident, Santa Monica Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati warned that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has informed district officials that a large number of ecstasy pills contaminated with fentanyl have entered the Los Angeles illicit drug market. “Fentanyl is increasingly making its way into other drugs, as well. The risk of overdose, even death, is very high when exposed to these substances,” Drati said.
“With graduation parties, end of school year celebrations and summer break around the corner, we wanted to communicate this alert to you. We ask that you speak to your children about the risks of drugs. Research suggests that parents and other adults who show a non-judgmental stance, can make a difference as to whether or not the youth will engage in risky behavior. It might be helpful to explain to children facts about drugs and the fentanyl crisis as there is no way to know if a pill or powder has been laced with fentanyl without special testing.” According to Drati, a series of student workshops is planned on drug awareness and harm reduction, along with NARCAN training for students, parents and providers. These workshops will take place at Virginia Avenue Park at a date yet to be determined. Fentanyl test strips can be obtained at https://www.tacoinc.org/teststrips
Photo: Getty Images
Outlets: All Categories: news Social (6 am June 7 ) and NEWSLETTER: Officials are warning of a large number of ecstasy pills laced with fentanyl that have entered the Los Angeles drug market. The warning comes as three Santa Monica Unified School District students recover from an overdose after taking drugs contaminated with the powerful synthetic opioid. Geotag: Santa Monica, California