June 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Santa Monica Residents Call For Safety Amid Crime: 75-Year-Old Woman Robbed in Broad Daylight Causes Community Cries for Help

By Armen Melkonians

 

Last week, my 75-year-old mother-in-law was assaulted and robbed on Lincoln Boulevard near Hill Street. She was walking on the sidewalk in broad daylight when a car stopped and someone got out, shoved her, and ripped her cross from her neck. She fought back and was dragged by the car as she tried to get her cross back. She’s one tough cookie. Ended up with bad bruises and scrapes. No broken bones. She’s a 26-year resident of Santa Monica. She doesn’t drive, but walks at least 4 to 5 miles per day, as she has for the last 26 years. This is the first time something like this has happened to her.

The crime in Santa Monica is getting unmanageable. We hear about something every day from someone we know, and now it’s hit home for me.

Our City officials welcomed the Metro and the densification of Santa Monica with open arms. They made plans upon plans. Over a decade in the making, with a thousand public hearings to change Santa Monica. They made fortunes for developers while securing their own political power. The new Zoning Plan, Bike Plans, Mobility Plans, Downtown Plan, Bergamot Plan, Walking Plans, Millennial Plans, bogus plans. You name it, and City Hall has a plan for it. But there’s one plan that’s missing, and that’s the Safety Plan.

We pay our City Manager, our Police Chief, our Police Captains, our City Attorneys, and our City Planners an absurd amount of money each year. Our City officials say they want the best and to get the best we must pay for it. Well, it’s a shell game. Nobody at City Hall planned for our safety. Nobody cared, even the best. They all just got rich while scratching each other’s backs.

There’s no safety plan. And we the residents are paying the high price. In the 2016 elections, the Police Officers Association and most of our elected officials opposed Measure LV, a slow growth measure by Residocracy. They manufactured a “Public Safety” concern. They argued that the city would be unsafe after an earthquake and that crime would run rampant as buildings would sit empty. What a bunch of baloney.

Well, I got news for our elected officials and the Police Officers Association…it’s unsafe now and our elected officials are to blame.

How did City Hall, in all its glory and high paid staff, fail to plan for our safety? Why is crime so rampant that criminals feel emboldened enough to assault and rob a 75-year-old woman in broad daylight, on a busy street, without a second thought of being caught? Why did our elected officials not plan to significantly increase the size of our police force with the arrival of the Metro and with all the fancy plans to densify Santa Monica? Why do we not have a Safety Plan and how did politics and political back scratching get in the way of our Public Safety?

We must demand answers and we deserve a safe Santa Monica. We must hold our elected officials accountable. Why are we here and how do we fix it? The crime rate in Santa Monica is climbing and it’s getting out of control. We deserve better.

Armen Melkonians is the founder of Residocracy.

Armen Melkonians is the founder of Residocracy.

Related Posts

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Culver City Launches Solidarity Campaign Alongside Hate Crimes Report Presentation

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Join City Leaders on June 24 for a Community Presentation on Rising Hate Incidents Local officials and residents are invited...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

Culver City Police Nab Two Suspects in Canterbury Drive Burglary Case

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Community Tip and Set Investigation Lead to Arrest of Repeat Offenders Culver City police have arrested two suspects in connection...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...

Nightly I-405 Lane Closures Begin June 23 for Sepulveda Pass Rehab

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Caltrans Will Shut Down Select Lanes Nightly Through June 28 The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced overnight lane...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

(Video) The Guest List Collab Dinner with Chef Raphael Lunetta and Chef Alan Wong

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Held at Marelle Restaurant at The Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica. An Incredible mix of Hawaiian and Santa Monica’s flavors...

Summer Pop-Ups Serve Crullers, Challah Donuts, Croissants, Coffee and Musical Vibes

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Nyletta Nyletta, Challah Dad, Des Croissants Paris Bring Pastry Delights to Culver City A pair of sweet summer pop-ups are...