Santa Monica Mirror: Mar 08 - Mar 14, 2024

Security Officers Being Deployed at Big Blue Bus Stations and Routes

The Guards will be provided by a firm with other security contracts with the city of Santa Monica

By Zach Armstrong

Beginning March 10, Big Blue Bus will station “transit safety officers” at certain bus stops and on high-traffic routes. The West L.A. metro system says this is part of a broader initiative to enhance safety, convenience and attractiveness.

Good Guard Security, a California-based firm that signed a $2.2 million, five and a half-year contract with Santa Monica City Council last year, will provide the officers in partnership with the transit system.

According to Good Guard’s website, the firm provides both armed and unarmed security services. A BBB news release

doesn’t specify whether the guards will be armed, but describes them as “specially trained.”

Announcement of BBB’s partnership with Good Guard comes about eight months after City Council approved its contract with the private firm to provide overnight security in parking facilities and adjacent areas.

Earlier that year, the City piloted a sixmonth program with Good Guard for overnight security in downtown parking structures. It was successful, according to council agenda item, with results such as a 48% decrease in calls for service, a 60% decrease in calls on burglary theft from motor vehicles and Good Guard assigning six guards with a supervisor within 24 hours notice when needed on the Promenade.

“Big Blue Bus has long maintained an exceptionally clean, safe, and secure system,” said Anuj Gupta, director of Santa Monica Department of Transportation, in a statement. “We are introducing transit safety officers as another component of our multilayered approach to safety and customer experience, and to provide greater support to our dedicated riders and employees.”

According to BBB, the officers will provide the following services:

• Assist riders with navigating the regional bus and rail network

• Provide guidance on Big Blue Bus fares and payment methods

• Address safety and maintenance concerns reported by passengers

• Offer support and resource materials to passengers in need

• Educate riders about Big Blue Bus’s Code of Conduct and ensure adherence

Sweet Lady Jane Bakery Returns with Surprise Soft Opening

Four Other Locations Will Start to Reopen

By Dolores Quintana

Things are moving fast with the

reopening of the beloved cake bakery Sweet Lady Jane. After a week of mysterious teases on social media, Eater Los Angeles reported that Julie Ngu, the CEO of Pacific French Bakery, had purchased the brand and bakery.

Surprised fans of the bakery who checked the Sweet Lady Jane Instagram were greeted with the news that the Santa Monica location on Montana Avenue had

soft opened and was ready for business. We swung by the location and spoke with Julie Ngu. We were given the exclusive news that the plan was to start soft opening some of the other locations this week, which includes Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Encino, and Larchmont.

An Instagram post from the bakery stated, “We’ve had the keys for less than three weeks, so please afford us (and our

employees) some grace, as we’ve been working non-stop just to open the doors for you. Let’s all rejoice in the imperfection of it all, knowing that it’s only going to get sweeter.”

We had a slice of Triple Berry cake and can report that it was very good. The slice was packed with juicy berries and tasted just like the original.

Grief Support Group

A safe space to share your thoughts and feelings with others.

In-person & Zoom Groups; Each group meets twice monthly

Upcoming Ice Cream Shop on Montana Ave. Will Serve Multitude of Vegan Flavors

Are you coping with feelings of loss and loneliness while trying to rebuild your life and find new directions? If so, Wise & Healthy Aging offers offer a safe space to help you find the support you need.

The Company Has Come a Long Way Since Its Humble Beginnings as a New York City Food Truck

By Zach Armstrong

Erin

Mckenna’s

Bakery onced served donuts, muffins, cakes and more from its retail space at 1415 Montana Ave. before closing. Now, another sweet treat eatery is taking its place.

Van Leeuwen, a national franchise that serves traditional and vegan ice cream options in addition to ice cream bars and

sandwiches, will soon open its tenth California retail spot in Santa Monica.

Dairy flavors include Leo’s Lizard Lunch, Malted Cookie Dough Shake, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin, Buttermilk Berry Cornbread, and more. For vegan ice cream lovers, dairy-free flavors include Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb, Cookies & Cream Caramel Swirl, Churros & Fudge, Strawberry Shortcake and more.

The company, founded by Ben Van Leeuwen, Pete Van Leeuwen and Laura O’Neill, has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a New York City food truck. As of last year, the brand had over 40 scoop shops across the U.S. Most of its California locations are within Los Angeles. Other local spots include those in Culver City, Franklin Village, Silverlake, The Arts District, and Studio City.

For more information about the business, go to https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/.

Traci Park to Join Delegation in France as L.A. Leaders Prepare for 2028 Olympics

Discussions Will Include Partnerships With French Companies, Exploring Housing Strategies

Councilmember Traci Park will join Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ delegation of City Council members and civic leaders in Paris, France this week to gain insights from innovative housing, green transportation, and infrastructure projects to prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Others joining include Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril, and Priscilla Cheng,

Senior Vice President for Government Relations.

Discussions will include partnerships with French companies, exploring housing strategies for the unhoused, and learning from Parisian leaders about maximizing public transportation and economic development.

International engagements involve meetings with Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris, United States Ambassador to France and Monaco Denise Campbell Bauer, French Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Mayor Mathieu Hanotin of Saint-Denis, and Mayor Karim Bouamrane of Saint-Ouen-surSeine. The delegation will also participate in an International Women’s Day Conference hosted by Mayor Hidalgo.

Suspect in Custody After Breaking Into Woman’s Residence, Masturbating While She Slept

The

Man Was Arrested for Burglary, Indecent Exposure and Attempt to Commit Rape

By Zach Armstrong

A homeless man has been arrested after breaking into a Santa Monica woman’s residence and masturbating next to her bed as she slept.

Anthony Romero, 28, entered the residence in the 2400 block of 2nd street around 2:10 a.m. on Feb. 29. When the victim woke up, Romero was next to her bed pleasuring himself and touching her face. The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived.

Responding officers shared security footage with detectives. Within hours, Romero was identified as the suspect.

The next day, A Watch officers located Romero walking on Santa Monica Boulevard. He was taken into custody with the help of an UAS/Drone and an assisting K9 officer who contacted the suspect.

Romero was booked for Burglary, Indecent Exposure, Attempt to Commit Rape and a Parole Hold (out of San Bernardino County).

Anyone with information related to the individual or incident is asked to contact Detective McCoy at James.McCoy@ santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Goodwin at Chad.Goodwin@santamonica. gov, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458- 8427.

On the Need for Safety

SMa.r.t.

Earlier this week, in the dark pre-dawn hours, a pair of thugs covered in masks and hoodies burst into the lobby of the 23-unit apartment building where I live, ran down the hallway, and quickly wrenched open the building’s mailbox cabinet. They looted the mailboxes and, on their way out, encountered a resident whom they promptly attacked with fists and burglary tools. The resident fell injured to the floor, and the assailants fled with the stolen mail in a bag, their escape captured on video. The police were called and arrived within minutes. The thugs were gone.

As may be imagined, this event has caused the building’s 50-odd residents–including elderly widows and young families– to reevaluate the safety equation underlying daily life. In past years, as crime levels have increased, accounts of criminal events always seemed to be happening elsewhere. In a different city. In another part of town. On a different street. Up the block. To someone else. Now, the rising tide is at our doorstep. It is no longer outside the building’s front doors–it’s right at each person’s own unit. That’s a profound change in perception, and we are soon to see the results in our building.

Those who keep abreast of the city’s crime reports, whether through traditional media outlets or official announcements, recognize that this issue transcends the boundaries of Santa Monica. It is a pervasive problem, affecting communities regionally, statewide, and even nationally. Despite these broader implications, we look to our local leaders to come up with effective solutions. While commendable efforts have been made, such as the expansion of the police force, heightened patrols, and the engagement of private security, an increasing number of residents are directly experiencing the effects of crime, which inexorably chips away at our sense of safety.

This erosion of the feeling of safety is, in part, fueled by the amplification of crimerelated content on social media platforms. Daily inundation with reports of assaults,

burglaries, thefts, and robberies fosters an atmosphere of pervasive anxiety and apprehension regarding personal safety, irrespective of whether one has been personally victimized.

Increasingly, however, the appreciable decline in the sense of safety is substantiated by the escalating incidence of actual criminal activity on our streets and within private properties, despite assurances to the contrary from law enforcement and city authorities. With each passing day, an increasing number of residents either directly experience or have firsthand knowledge of serious criminal acts. Whether perception shapes reality or reality shapes perception, a prevailing sense of fear and vulnerability is taking root within our community.

More needs to be done, specifically at the City Council level. While many Council members, including the current Mayor, have demonstrated commendable diligence in addressing the issue of crime, there are some members who–to put it delicately–have been less than enthusiastic supporters of the effort. Whether stemming from ideological biases or a distorted understanding fueled by antagonism towards law enforcement (an antipathy, we note, that is rooted in poor behavior by some police officers in the past), this attitude must change if we want a safer city for everyone. But there’s another reason for such a change.

Recent investments in public infrastructure, such as public transit, libraries, and recreational parks, are being undermined by the visible presence of criminal activity. There are people in this city who will avoid using their bicycles, not only because of increasingly dangerous, unchecked behavior by some drivers (and some cyclists) but also because of the prospect of losing their bicycle to theft, either parked at home or their destination, is a real deterrent (this writer is one). There are parents who will no longer take their children to parks because of the danger posed by used needles left discarded on the ground. There are plenty of people who have stopped taking public transportation because of the fear of assaults on buses, trains, and stations–a fear rooted in reality.

The effects of crime have even crept, consciously or not, into our city’s urban

design, with new projects featuring green open spaces that are barred from public view, raised high up, well above street level, to protect the users living in those projects and thus creating, in the process, inhospitable, fortress-like conditions at street level for passing pedestrians. The mere concept of vibrant street life has started to fade from the actual designs (if not from developers’ brochures). It is rarely–if ever–mentioned by city authorities, including boards and commissions, with the power to review these projects.

Solutions need not rely solely on costly defensive infrastructure; simple yet effective measures, improved street lighting, and the implementation of monitored surveillance systems have been proven to significantly deter criminal activity (Criminology and Public Policy street lighting study and Springer.com study on proactive CCTV monitoring). The city can also do more to help create and support Neighborhood Watch organizations, including a “neighborhood watch czar” at City Hall. There are many creative measures that can be taken to help with the problem.

Every city has a hierarchy of needs, not unlike the one proposed by Abraham Maslow for individuals. At the bottom of the hierarchy–that is, at the base, all other needs

need to be realized (such as love, belonging, esteem, and self-realization)–Maslow’s concept includes safety. It is a basic building block for everything else. Reducing crime is a core obligation of the city. A city that cannot take care of the basics cannot solve other problems and cannot improve its residents’ lives.

Back to the event in my building, later on the morning of the attack, I met with the resident who was assaulted. His head was covered in bruises, lacerations, and lumps from the beating. As he hurriedly ushered his children off to school, the gravity of the situation became palpable–those little children knew that their father was assaulted on their very own doorstep.

What kind of life does that promise them?

Daniel Jansenson, Architect, Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission.

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow: Thane Roberts, Architect; Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA; Robert H. Taylor AIA, Architect; Dan Jansenson, Architect & Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission; Samuel Tolkin Architect & Planning Commissioner; Michael Jolly, AIR-CRE; Marie Standing, Jack Hillbrand AIA

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow

High-Speed Pursuit Leaves a Trail of Chaos Before Dramatic Capture

A stolen Lowe’s box truck led law enforcement agencies on a harrowing chase through West Los Angeles, as reported by CBS News. The pursuit started in Santa Monica, going through Malibu and into Ventura County on Wednesday afternoon before the suspect was apprehended.

The pursuit commenced at approximately 11:30 a.m. in Santa Monica, initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as

they trailed the pilfered delivery truck on the 405 Freeway, transitioning onto the 10 Freeway, and eventually onto Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The driver maneuvered erratically through congested lanes on PCH, clocking speeds of up to 70 mph and colliding with at least one other vehicle along the way.

Although LAPD units gradually scaled back their pursuit, aerial surveillance continued as the truck persisted northbound on PCH, heading towards Ventura County.

Upon entering Ventura County, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) assumed control of the pursuit. At approximately 12:15 p.m., the truck abruptly reversed course, traveling southbound on the 101 Freeway toward Thousand Oaks.

While navigating lanes on the 101 Freeway in Thousand Oaks, the stolen truck collided with another box truck. Despite efforts by the driver of the “Mr. Tire” truck to prompt the suspect to pull over, the attempt proved futile. Ventura CHP deployed a spike strip, successfully puncturing the left front tire of the stolen truck. However, the driver persisted, even evading an enforcement stop.

The pursuit reached its climax at Northbank Drive and Ventura Boulevard, where law enforcement officers surrounded the immobilized truck. Non-lethal measures were employed to shatter the truck’s window as the driver adamantly refused to exit. Eventually, he bolted from the vehicle, leading officers on a brief foot chase before

being apprehended. As a precaution, the suspect was transported to the hospital. The stolen Lowe’s truck, loaded with appliances, incurred damage during the course of the incident.

Gary Tyler Sat on Death Row

The City of Santa Monica’s Art Bank has

procured a piece by Gary Tyler, a man once wrongfully imprisoned for four decades and recipient of this year’s Frieze Los Angeles Impact Prize.

Tyler, an LA resident, gained acclaim

for his work, “In Memoriam of an Ashanti Warrior,” chosen by a jury including Christine Messineo (Director of Americas, Frieze), Amanda Sroka (Senior Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles), and Laurie Yehia (Vice Chair, City of Santa Monica Arts Commission).

Before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled his sentence unconstitutional, Tyler sat on death row at Louisiana’s Angola State Penitentiary and spent over 40 years in prison. During his time incarcerated, he mastered quilting while volunteering for the prison’s hospice program, according to Hollywood Reporter.

As the 2024 Frieze Los Angeles Impact

and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit pgroups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decider en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presenter una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia de demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en format legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es possible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayude de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar le cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corteque le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros reuisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatemente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisites para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados lacales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante

Prize winner, Tyler received a $25,000 prize in partnership with The Center for Art and Advocacy and Endeavor Impact.

Photo by Ed Gandara