SR-9-B (11)
~ q-8
.
.
-.. ,'"'- -............
r ~!.... . l;,;: J
PO JTB:GRC:jtb:plcostaf.cm Santa Monica, California ...
Council Meeting: February 16, 1993
TO: MA YOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY STAFF
SUBJECT: PICO NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY POLICING AND SERVICES
INTRODUCTION
After assessing crime and community sentiment in the PIca Neighborhood, staff
recommends an initiative that will Involve the Police Department, other City agencies
and the community In a mutual effort. Through this step-by-step measurable program,
a bond can develop between the community and the police, improVing conditions In
the neighborhood and prOViding a heightened sense of security for reSidents
NEIGHBORHOOD
The PICO Neighborhood IS defined for the purposes of this report by 14th Street on the
west, OlympIc Boulevard to the north, Cloverfleld to the east, and Pico Boulevard to
the south. While 12% of the City's total population live In thiS neighborhood, 21 %
of the City's youth live here. Seventeen percent of the PICO Neighborhood IS Afncan-
American (17.57%), thirty-four percent is Caucasian (33.63%), forty-four percent is
LatinO (44.57%), almost 7% IS ASian (6.9%) and less than 1 % IS Amencan Indian
( 33%). While 13 8% of Santa MOnica's population IS under 18 years of age, 23%
1 9-8
f'-~ ( ~ t(h11
L'::
-- - - -
.
of the PICO Neighborhood population IS under 18. In 1990, the median Income of
households In the PICO Neighborhood was $12,954, with 26.7% of the households
maintaining Incomes below the poverty level.
BACKGROUND
In response to communIty concerns, In June of 1992 a Pico Neighborhood Task Group
was formed within the Police Department. The group explored and developed plans
to address cnme and the social Issues impacting cnme In the PICO Neighborhood.
Communrty mput was solicited In various forums and the concerns of neIghborhood
speakers at the October 1992 Council Meeting were given thoughtful attention.
With the assistance of an Industrial psychologist, the Department developed and
conducted a community survey that explored neighborhood perceptions of quality of
life, Crime, and SOCial Issues Impacting the area. The survey also sampled citizen
perceptions of police serVices, as well as their feelings about the Police Department's
attitudes and response to the Citizens who live there A random sample of 250
households was surveyed. Overall, surveyed reSidents responded that they felt the
Santa Monica Police Department prOVides Significantly better police protection than
most other southern California communities receive, and their perception of the
Department is predominantly pOSitive. Survey results clearly articulated the reSidents'
concern regarding drugs, gangs, and assaults.
2
Concurrent with Task Force activities, staff of the Cultural and Recreation Services
Oepartment have been attending community meetings to develop ideas that Will
establish Virginia Avenue Park as a community center offering multi-generational
programs to serve resIdents' needs The results of these complementary efforts are
described below.
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES ANO POLICE/COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
1. Police Presence: The Department is commItted to providing a visIble police
presence in the PIca NeIghborhood community through frequent patrols and
regular beat deployment. In addition, speCial efforts Will be made In the areas
of gang intervention and drug sales abatement. Five officers Will be assigned
on an extended term to this endeavor
The Department may use the eXisting trailer located in Virginia Park as a base
after minor modifications are made to make the station more visible and
accessIble to the community Alternative base sites are also under review such
as a donated apartment unit, or City-owned property or house that could be
modified.
The Department experienced great success With Operation Vanish In the Pico
Neighborhood, a neighborhood undercover Buy-Bust operation that resulted In
the arrest of 27 street traffickers of narcotics in FY1992-93. The Department
plans to continue these efforts In the neIghborhood In the coming year. Both
the Metro Team and Cnme Impact Team will be used In these operations.
3
2. Cultural Awareness Trainina: Through the Police Department's Personnel
Development Section, staff members have been assigned to attend cultural
awareness training seminars and classes. WIth the assistance of Sergeant
Jacqueline Seabrooks from the Office of Operations, the Department IS
developing a series of training sessions for officers and non-sworn employees.
Sergeant Seabrooks has received specialized Instructor training In cultural
awareness. The training sessions Will address such subjects as cultural
perceptions and concerns of the minority and majority populations In Santa
Monica, issues related to alternatIve lifestyles and gender-related concerns.
Community Affairs staff members are visiting the State of California African
American Museum, Plaza de la Raza and the new Holocaust Center to reach a
greater level of understanding of cultural pride and the nature of prejudice
3. Police/Clerav Council: The staff of the Crime Prevention Section has begun
coordinating With area churches to create a group which Will meet regularly to
address mutual communlty/poltce relations concerns. Area clergy can initiate
an essential community dialogue focused on youth supervISion and
development Issues. Ground work for a community-wide Police/Clergy Council
was coordinated With the Westside Ecumenical Conference, a group of
forty-two churches, In Santa MOnica, Westwood, Venice, and West L.A.
Twelve churches located Within or adJacent to the Pico Neighborhood area were
contacted The concept of a PolIce/Church CounCil met with an enthusiastiC
response from each of the church ministers Several have opened their doors
4
and invited the Chief and other Department members to address their
congregations at upcoming special programs and events. The Chief and
Command Staff members will periodically meet With the ministers and key
church members to formulate JOint responses to the social problems that have
crime consequences In the PICO area community.
4 Serious Habitual Offenders Proqram (SHO): The Department IS completing an
application for a state grant to establish SHO, the Serious Habitual Offenders
program. ThiS program would operate through an expanded Crime Analysis
Section that would be able to track chroniC criminal behavior by individuals
Within the community. Investigators will then initiate proceedings through the
cooperation of the District Attorney's Office. Serious violations by gang
members will result In prosecution under the provisions of the Street Terrorism
Enforcement and Prevention Act (STEP), which provides maximum penalties
and tailored probation. Implementation of this program IS contingent upon
receiving a state grant.
5. School Attendance Review Board (SARB): Through the School AUendance
Review Board, school offiCials and parents can help keep youth In school and
thereby help to combat Criminal activity which IS spawned by truancy. Once
students have more than three unexcused absences, parents will be notified
and Informed of the POSSibility of the SARB being activated. The student and
parent can then be directed to the Probation Department for counseling and
alternatives. If the student continues to miSS school, the minor will be referred
5
- - - - - ---
to the Juvenile Court under section 601 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
On January 29th representatives of the Santa Monica Unified School District,
the Probation Department, and the Police Department met to discuss logistics
and Implementation of the program.
6. Soecial Outreach: Volunteers have been contacted to assist the Department
In Spanish translation of Department communications. The cnme prevention
newsletter, "Watch-Out," will include articles in Spanish. Future articles Will
feature community members who make a difference. The mailing list was
updated WIth more addressees Within the Pico Neighborhood area. A concerted
effort lS scheduled to Increase partiCipation In the Neighborhood Watch
Programs In the PICO Neighborhood.
7. Citv-sDonsored Graffiti-abatement Servic;::es: Gang and tagger-spawned graffiti
IS UbiqUitous Within the PICO Neighborhood. Graffltl allowed to remain for more
than a few days Implies that the taggers control the area. More Significantly,
graffiti marks an area for instigation of, or retaliation for, hostilities by nval
gangs external to Santa Monica.
At present, three telephone numbers confront the citizen attempting to report
observed graffiti, making It difficult to reach the correct agency to respond to
graffiti on private property, public property, or to receive information on gang
graffiti. Separate City departments administer the response to graffiti on
private or public property. In light of thiS, the entire program Will be
administered by General Services with a Single phone number. Removal of
6
.
reported and/or observed graffiti should occur Within 72 hours. Police Officers
In the fIeld will be Involved In logging observed graffiti for abatement.
RECREATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES
This phase of the action plan requires the active participation of parents and
community members In the reduction of juvenile delinquency and provides educatIonal
and life skills developmenttralnlng combined with increased recreational programming
A community planning process this Spnng will help to define a multi-generational and
multicultural program centered at Virginia Avenue Park. The talents and resources of
City agenCies, social service prOViders and community volunteers will be enlisted to
establish the park as a true community center With an environment that IS safe, and
alive With actIVIties that Interest and serve the entire neighborhood.
At vanous community meetings attended by City staff over the past 6 months,
parents emphaSized the need for continued programs at the park after the PAL
program relocates to Memonal Park. There is an expressed need for structured
programming for youth at night Council and community members have expressed
Interest In strengthenmg and expanding constructive programs for youth m lieu of or
as a precondition of reconSideratIon of a curfew ordinance. Park youth programming
Will be coordinated With services citY-Wide to ensure that programs are
complementary and not duplicative Organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club
and YWCA can extend the reach of City programs.
7
Park Supervision
A City staff member will be designated to coordinate all park programmmg and
operations. ThiS individual WIll be based at the park and will supervise a multicultural
and bilingual staff. A staff presence Will be maintained from morning to evening
hours Staff Will be available to refer community members to city-wide serVices,
respond to program Ideas and marshall City response to maintenance and repair
Issues
Park Services
Neighborhood residents will be recruited to plan a community clean-up and paint day
In which neighbors participate In the face-11ft of the park In the morning and a family
picniC, chili cook-off or SBO In the afternoon. At thiS event, park staff and neighbors
Will refine plans for the summer and school year to ensure maximum participation at
both PAL (MemOrial Park) and VIrginia Avenue Park Recreation activities will
emphaSize the benefits of leisure and recreation as they relate to self-esteem, health,
and skills bUilding at all ages.
Social service agencies receiving grants from the City of Santa MOnica Community
Development Program are required to proVide services to reSidents of low Income.
City staff Will convene a meeting of service proViders to address key Issues In the
community including the need for gang prevention; youth Involvement through sports,
art and skIlls bUilding workshops, adult and youth drug and alcohol counseling:
8
.
.
employment development; InformatIon and referral; parenting workshops, health
screening; services in support of family growth, and development; and dispute
resolution.
In addition to working closely With the Santa MOnlca-Malibu Unified School District
and City-funded community agencies, City staff will research and assess programs
working in other Los Angeles area communities which might lend their expertise In the
deSign of mnovatlve programs. These may Include: The Community for Education
Foundation, a private program based In Los Angeles which attempts to strengthen
families by teaching life-management Skills, the elevation of self-esteem and the
promotion of self-sufficiency and financial stability to school age children and their
parents Their program currently operates at Culver City, Dorsey, Odyssey, and
Manual Arts High Schools, emphaSIZing community and collective responsibilities,
commUnication Skills, goal-setting, Job skills and the seeding of small bUSiness
ventures. Among other programs to be evaluated are the Reis Network based in
Manna del Rey, The Teen Court offered by the Juvenile Court System and Creative
Educational Resources, a home study learning process.
Programming Initiatives envIsioned for the park Include the follOWing:
0 Workshops on community diverSity to be offered as part of a liVing skills
services.
0 Park events and activities deSigned to honor the richness of the various cultures
represented In the community.
0 Outreach to build attendance at the senior congregate meals program,
instituting programming With a multicultural appeal to encourage dIalogue and
9
;
.
exchange. In collaboration With non-profIt agencies serving semors, enhanced
programming including workshops and cross generational activities will be
developed.
0 A move of the teen room to a larger space In the park facility.
0 Support groups on cultural awareness, youth gangs and alternatives.
0 Counseling, dances, and employment development for youth 13 years and
above.
0 Continuation of the PAL bOXing nng and weight training program serving youth
up to the ages of 17 years With opportunities for older youth to participate as
volunteers. This program Will remain at Virginia Avenue Park and hours may
be extended this summer. The program has proVided a bridge between youth
and the Police Department.
0 Skill bUilding opportunities that focus on marketable skills such as cabinetry,
mechamcs, or metalwork In conjunction With local bUSinesses.
0 Forums addressing issues related to teenage girls and young women who Will
receive speCial encouragement to participate in athletiC activIties.
0 Peer counseling for youth to help bridge the gap between adult service
providers and youth. Linkages with StepPing Stone, Santa Monica High School
Peer Counseling Program and the Dispute Resolution ServIces School Mediation
Program at the middle schools Will be explored
0 Volunteer tutors In various academic areas to assist youth with school work
and preparation for exams In collaboration With Youth In Action, PAL, and the
Library.
0 Workshops for youth In leadership development, public speaking, and
negotiating skills.
0 A youth employment project organized by Youth In Action. The project
proVides Interview skills development, Job development and placement. resume
Writing and Job search workshops In conjunction with the Catholic Youth
Orgamzatlon and hIgh school Regional OccupatIon Program (ROP).
0 An adult Job board and Job search program two evenings per week In
cooperation With the Water Gardens Development project.
0 Special efforts, including transportation, to ensure that neighborhood youth
continue to have access to the Police Activities League (PAL) program at the
new location In Memorial Park.
Members of the PI co Neighborhood community Will be inVited to respond to thiS plan
In a more detailed form at the Initial park communIty day event.
10
- ---
.
~
~
,
.
.
SUMMARY
Over the past seven months, the Police Department and other City agencies including
the Cultural and Recreation Services Department have listened carefully to PICO
Neighborhood community concerns. The operational measures suggested In thiS
report are designed to strengthen police presence. effectiveness, efficiency, and
community Involvement with special emphasis on ed ucatlon, development,
supervision, and protection of the youth of the neighborhood. The cornerstone of
these recommendations deal with the empowerment and involvement of the residents
of the PI co NeIghborhood. This report offers chOIces for the CounCIl and resIdents of
the PICO Neighborhood.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that CounCil direct staff to proceed with Implementation of these
Initiatives, reporting back periodically on progress.
Prepared by: James T. Butts Jr., Chief of Police
Susan McCarthy, Director, Cultural and Recreation
Services Department
, ,