Santa Monica Mirror 10.11.19

Page 1

S A N TA M O N I C A

REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com

INSIDE

Rat Poison Kills Two Mountain Lions in SM PAGE 4

October 11 – 17, 2019 Volume XXII, Issue 12

CRIME IS DOWN Despite String of High-Profile Incidents SMPD Chief Cynthia Renaud releases crime update By Sam Catanzaro Over the past month a string of high-profile incidents in Santa Monica, including an armed bank robbery in broad daylight, have generated buzz — both literally from news and police helicopters and metaphorically in the media — but the chief of police says crime in the city is down, though acknowledges a disconnect among some residents in perception of crime and safety. According to Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Chief Cynthia Renaud, year to date, Santa Monica is experiencing a 15 percent decrease in Part 1 crimes, which include homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft. “We have not seen a decrease like this in a few years,” Renaud said. “We are seeing a significant decrease in car break-ins and assaults

which are areas that we typically see the most crime. For car break-ins, we are seeing a 17.5 percent decrease, down by 120 incidents from last year in downtown alone. The busiest parking structures are seeing reductions in criminal activity, which can be attributed to a few new changes we imposed, such as private security patrols and an intensified focus on our crime suppression missions.” In the past two months, Santa Monica has experienced a string of high-profile incidents that attracted media coverage and news helicopters. On August 15 three minors and an adult were arrested for attempting to rob a Santa Monica jewelry store armed with a sledgehammer. On August 16, a man who attempted to rob a Brinks armored car was non-fatally shot by a security guard. On September 10, an armed, masked robber stole between $3,000 and $5,000 from a Wells Fargo bank on Montana Avenue in broad daylight and eluded a massive manhunt. The same day, in a separate incident, a burglar led police on a foot chase from Venice to the Santa Monica Pier along the beach. On September

Photos: Courtesy/Sam Catanzaro.

12 a suspected burglar was non-fatally shot by SMPD officers at the culmination of a K-9 assisted search. On September 16 a suspicious package resembling a pressure-cooker was found on the Third Street Promenade, shutting down the popular shopping destination for several hours. On September 20 the Santa Monica police utilized K-9 and SWAT officers to detain a man who barricaded himself behind a dumpster with a firearm, which later turned out to be an airsoft rifle. On September 22 another suspicious package was found near

the Third Street Promenade, briefly shutting down nearby streets. On October 3 a suspected armed robber escaped a manhunt in Santa Monica’s North of Montana neighborhood. “In the last month, Santa Monica has experienced a handful of unique and high-profile incidents that attracted media coverage and news helicopters. I understand how that may cause some to feel unsafe. I want to reassure when crimes occur you have an extremely pro-

CRIME, see page 11

Fed. Court Dismisses Suit Against Vacation Rental Ban Ninth Circut rejects claim that City’s regulations violate Commerce Clause of Constitution. By S am C atanzaro A federal court has upheld the City of Santa Monica’s short term vacation rental ordi-

Photo: City of Santa Monica

Ocean Park Boulevard near the beach in Santa Monica.

nance in the face of a class-action lawsuit. Santa Monica has some of the strictest home-share regulations in the United

States. Santa Monica’s ordinance prohibits property rentals of 30 days or less with an exception for rentals where a primary resident remains in the dwelling. The plaintiff in the class-action case is Arlene Rosenblatt, a Santa Monica resident and homeowner who, prior to the ordinance’s passage in 2015, rented out her house on Airbnb for $350 per night when she and her husband traveled. After the City

of Santa Monica enacted the ordinance, Rosenblatt sued the city and Santa Monica City Council to repeal the ordinance and recover damages on behalf of herself and a class of similarly situated individuals, claiming that the ordinance violates the dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which denies states the power unjustifiably to discriminate against or burden the interstate flow of articles of commerce. Rosenblatt claimed that the development

RENTAL, see page 6

Sweet Home Santa Monica Dan & Charlee Nessel | 310.365.0195 | 310.755.8180 Dan@NesselHomes.com | Charlee@NesselHomes.com | NesselHomes.com

TAX

Lic# 01349526

©2018 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC.

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Samuel Moses, CPA 100 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica

310.395.9922


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Santa Monica Mirror 10.11.19 by Mirror Media Group/ Modoc Media/ Englewood Review - Issuu