SR 03-05-2019 4A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 5, 2019
Agenda Item: 4.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Karen Ginsberg, Director, Community & Cultural Services
Subject: Strategies to address Park and Beach Safety, Public Health, Maintenance,
and Activation
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council review and comment on strategies to address
issues related to safety, public health, maintenance, and activation of parks and the
beach, and direct staff to develop one-time or ongoing activities and funding requests
within the City’s FY2019-21 Biennial Operating Budget or FY2019-20 Exception-Based
Capital Improvement Program Budget processes, with future funding dependent on
available resources and Council approval.
Executive Summary
The City of Santa Monica is committed to developing and maintaining public space s that
are welcoming, safe, and accessible to all. City staff is aware of increasing community
concerns about safety in our local parks and the beach, and Council asked staff to
further engage the public on the topic, which was done during a public hearin g at the
January 17, 2019 Recreation and Parks Commission meeting.
Santa Monica is home to a rich and diverse network of public spaces, including parks,
the beach, the Pier, and the Third Street Promenade. These community assets make
Santa Monica unique and an international tourist destination. Parks enhance the City’s
neighborhoods, serve as focal points, foster civic pride and identity, and offer access to
sports, recreation, entertainment, and social connection. The Santa Monica State Beach
is an iconic destination and rich natural resource, with 18 million visitors per year.
Public spaces must be accessible to everyone, and while the City cannot regulate who
can use public spaces, the City can and does place reasonable limitations on allowable
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behavior in public spaces. Where drug use and criminal activity enter our public spaces,
the City will continue to respond to ensure protection of our community space.
Safety has at least two dimensions – the documented level of criminal, dangerous or
anti-social behavior in our parks and at the beach -- and the perception of safety among
park and beach users. Both are critical to addressing to ensure our public spaces are
safe and welcoming for everyone.
The management of public spaces also benefits from community involvement. Active
community-based use of parks helps reinforce the social fabric of neighborhoods and
models appropriate use of spaces, which in turn deters criminal behavior. There are
opportunities for elected and appointed leaders, community m embers, staff, County
partners, service providers, charitable organizations, and others to collaborate and
make visible and positive investments towards that end.
This report provides an overview of the work underway to address the safety, public
health, maintenance and activation of the City’s parks and beachfront , and beach- and
park-specific metrics. Some proposed strategies require new one-time or new ongoing
funding which staff are developing for consideration within the FY2019-21 Biennial
Operating Budget and FY 2019-20 Exception-Based Capital Budget processes.
Background
Following well-publicized incidents at Reed Park and Tongva Park and in light of
concerns raised by residents, the Recreation and Parks Commission discussed park
safety strategies in October 2018, made recommendations to Council which were heard
in November 2018, and held a public hearing in January 2019.
Meeting Date Description
October 11, 2018
Letter to Council
(attachment A)
The Recreation and Parks Commission finds that “the safety
situation in the parks and at the beach has reached a crisis point
and that further action cannot be delayed” and recommended a
series of actions related to: park closure, camping, beach closure,
cameras and lighting, food distribution, and public safety
personnel and presence.
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November 13, 2018 Council considers the Commission’s letter and public testimony,
requests that the Commission further engage the public and
directs staff to prepare for a future Council study session.
January 17, 2019
Letter to Council
(attachment B)
The Recreation and Parks Commission holds a public hearing
about park and beach safety and makes recommendations for
consideration by the Council regarding: public safety personnel
and infrastructure; the possibility of a beach curfew; park
programming; day beds; prohibiting access to parks; and
nuisance abatement.
Discussion
This agenda item details ongoing and proposed park and beach safety strategies. Staff
believes that safety, a Council-adopted Framework Priority, in public spaces can be
enhanced through activation, improvements to infrastructure, ongoing maintenance,
monitoring, reporting and enforcement, as well as access to services and amenities.
One dimension of both the reality and perception of safety in our parks and beach is the
increasing local impact of the regional homeless crisis, particularly the increased
presence and visibility of those with mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions and non-
violent criminal records among those living on our streets. It should be stressed that
homelessness is not a crime and that those experiencing homelessness are often
victims of crime, including in parks and at the beach. However, the visibility of criminal
or anti-social behavior by some who are living on the streets often stigmatizes the entire
population of those experiencing homelessness and erroneously equates
homelessness and criminal behavior.
The City has a long-standing commitment to addressing homelessness locally as well
as regionally. Council recently identified Reducing Homelessness among its Framework
Priorities. An interdepartmental team will present a comprehensive Reducing
Homelessness Plan of Action to Council on April 30. While people experiencing
homelessness often spend time in parks and at the beach, this is not a report about
homelessness. The strategies presented in this report further the City’s vision of
welcoming, safe, and accessible public spaces for all.
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Public Safety Resources and Deployment, Enforcement of Rules and Laws Includ ing
Nuisance Abatement, Park Closure, Camping
Local Law
The City dedicates considerable resources to crafting local laws that follow judicial
guidance, protect spaces for use by all, and facilitate enforcement. For example, the
Santa Monica Municipal Code imposes restrictions on the time, place, and manner of
solicitations and peddling; prohibits camping in public spaces including the City’s public
parks, beaches, the Pier, streets, alleys, public parking lots, landscaped areas, the right -
of-way, and property owned by the School District, College, or other governmental
agencies; and prohibits sitting or lying in downtown and Main Street doorways at night.
The Community and Cultural Services Department Director has the authority, according
to Municipal Code section 4.55.400, to promulgate rules to regulate parks, beaches,
park facilities, beach facilities, and other sites. There are rules related to the use of
Santa Monica’s parks and public restrooms; these rules are visibly posted and prohibit
behaviors such as smoking, camping, consuming alcohol and drugs, obstructing
walkways, and being present after closure. Staff works with the City Attorney’s Office to
ensure that all rules are legal and enforceable.
The City Attorney’s Office and Police Department have full authority to enforce laws
when crimes are committed and do so. For example, the City Attorney’s Office, Santa
Monica Police Department, and Code Enforcement Division recently worked together to
charge a local business, the McDonald’s at 1540 2nd Street, for maintaining a public
nuisance. The case resulted in a stipulated judgement under which McDonald’s will
cease 24-hour operations. Staff will continue to enforce state and local laws that protect
public health, safety, and welfare and use nuisance abatement tools to protect public
spaces.
Enforcement
Park and beach rules are enforced by sworn and non-sworn members of the Santa
Monica Police Department, who pair proactive enforcement and engagement strategies
with coordination of services.
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The Public Services Officers (PSO) Unit (“Park Ranger” and similar classifications were
converted to Public Services Officers in 2014) consists of 29 non-sworn officers; 24 are
specifically responsible for patrolling the parks and downtown areas and have been
deployed full-time, in four-hour rotations, to five specific parks for the last six months:
Palisades, Tongva, Reed, Memorial, and Virginia Avenue. Five additional PSOs
assigned to the Airport are rotated through the downtown and parks as needed. Park
patrols occur from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days per week. Monday through
Thursday, two PSOs begin their shift at 4:00 a.m. to address livability issues in the
parks, primarily violations of park closure hours and camping. This pair of PSOs works
closely with SMPD’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team, outreach provider West
Coast Care, and the Police Department’s contracted mental health clinicians. On
average, the PSOs respond to approximately 350 dispatched radio calls per month, and
self-initiate approximately 750 calls for service. PSOs have the ability to issue
Administrative Citations for violations of the code that are regulatory/permit based, such
as performer violations and issues with physical trainer permits, but the main benefit of
the PSOs is the consistent monitoring of the City’s open spaces and the training and
experience to enlist the services of other Police Department and City resources when
needed.
The HLP Team is comprised of eight sworn police officers, a sergeant and a Los
Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) Clinician dedicated to
engagement, education, outreach and enforcement in the community, all related to the
effects of homelessness. The majority of this work is directly with those experiencing
homelessness; however, as the population has grown, and awareness has increased, a
larger and larger portion of the HLP Team’s time is also spent dealing with conflicts that
arise between the housed and homeless. Dealing with the quality of life issues endemic
to having a large population of people living outside is complicated, particularly because
homelessness itself is not a crime, and all people have equal rights to use and enjoy
parks, beaches, and other public spaces. HLP officers must balance those rights with
fair and effective enforcement. Members of the HLP Team patrol seven days per week,
primarily focusing their efforts on the downtown area, Main Street, the beach, and all
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City parks to advise and cite individuals who violate City of Santa Monica municipal
codes related to tents, camping, open flame, etc. HLP officers also respond to calls for
service from the community and provide support to Public Services Officers when they
are contacting individuals for quality of life violations such as smoking, drinking i n public,
and camping. Having a dedicated DMH Clinician facilitates evaluations for mental
health issues and assists with funneling homeless individuals to the social services they
need and for which they are eligible. In addition, the DMH Clinician can c ommunicate
directly with case workers assigned to clients living on Santa Monica’s streets. This
highly effective conduit for communication and support has been extremely successful
in connecting and reconnecting some extremely vulnerable homeless individu als with
the support they require.
The HLP Team also works with West Coast Care (WCC), a group that provides
outreach on the beach and in Tongva and Palisades Parks, offering referrals to shelter
and other resources, emergency clothing, bus tokens and o ther support, including the
WCC’s primary focus of reconnecting those experiencing homelessness with family.
WCC makes contact with family members, obtains a commitment from them to provide
housing for their kin, and then uses funds from the City’s Projec t Homecoming budget to
purchase plane, train, or bus fare. WCC also provides regular follow-up with those who
are sent home to ensure they are still housed at three and six months.
In April 2019, the Santa Monica Police Department will conduct a four -division
reorganization. Teams that work on similar problems and projects will align under
common supervision and management to best deliver resources. The HLP Team and
park PSOs will be placed under the command of a Police Lieutenant.
Crime Data
Crime data shows Santa Monica’s parks and beaches do not harbor a greater degree of
criminal activity than other locations in the City. Citywide reported crime increased 8.8%
in 2018, the third year of increase in a row. The majority of the reported crimes were
non-violent property crimes and the majority of arrests were for misdemeanors.
Similarly, the vast majority of reported crimes committed in Santa Monica’s parks and at
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the beach are low-level public order crimes such as drinking or smoking in public and
public camping.
The Police Department uses timely incident statistics to deploy officers to trouble spots.
Last year, most of the calls for service in parks and a majority of calls for the beach
were initiated by PSOs and police officers rather than the public. This demonstrates that
SMPD are present in these areas and are initiating contacts with individuals who are
violating rules and laws.
Department-wide statistics
(October 1, 2017-September 30, 2018)
Total Calls
for Service
(CFS)
CFS- Self-
initiated
Advisals (H)
Citations (H)
Arrests (H)
Downtown
(Grid)
29649 12261
(41%)
3634 1036 489
Tongva Park 1359 1068
(78%)
232 147 27
Reed Park 2149 1838
(85%)
389 110 20
Memorial Park 874 785
(92%)
105 11 1
Douglas Park 493 402
(81%)
45 3 3
Palisades Park
1400-1500 BLK
1906 1442
(76%)
428 163 43
North Beach 1591 835
(52%)
97 22 12
South Beach 2013 1280
(64%)
341 82 29
Pier/OFW 3596 2091
(58%)
303 36 29
Field-Based Services
In late October 2018, SMPD officers and local service providers created a one-day pop-
up outreach event in Reed Park to increase visible police presence and provide field -
based services. In the past six months, SMPD has conducted special directed
operations in Tongva Park and Reed Park to address concerns including drug sales and
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other antisocial behaviors. In addition, Neighborhood Resource Officers and the HLP
Team, in coordination with social service providers, have stationed the department’s
Mobile Command Post, nicknamed “Optimus Crime”, in Reed Park and the
southernmost end of Palisades Park multiple times this past year. Additionally, the
SMPD Mounted Patrol Unit is often in Palisades Park, Tongva Park, and Reed Park
during the weekends, providing a highly visible police presence in some of the City’s
busiest open spaces.
Reporting
If people see criminal activity while in parks, they are encouraged to report it to the non -
emergency police dispatch line. New “See something say something” signage has been
posted in Reed and Memorial Parks. Additionally, incidents, concerns, and requests for
maintenance and social services should be reported through SM Works, the City’s
virtual City Hall, https://www.smgov.net/santamonicaworks.aspx
Hospitality and Maintenance Services
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) launched the Ambassador program in 2009 to
offer hospitality, maintenance, and restroom attendant services to downtown property
owners. In 2016, the City entered into an agreement with DTSM for Ambassador
services in Tongva and Palisades Parks with the goal of improving the parks’
cleanliness and safety and the public’s perception of the parks. Hospitality and restroom
ambassadors help maintain a welcoming environment by engaging visitors; offering
directions, recommendations, escorts and other customer service assistance; providing
visual and audio observation to public space management; light cleaning and restocking
restrooms; and providing minor maintenance assistance when needed. Ambassadors
also work closely with SMPD, monitoring for anti-social and illegal behavior, and making
contact with homeless individuals. The program has been well-received and has had a
positive impact on visitors’ perception of safety and cleanliness of the parks, particularly
in and near the public restrooms. In response to the program’s success, in 2018
Council authorized a multi-year agreement to extend ambassador services for Tongva
and Palisades Parks, including increased services at Palisades Park. Staff is evaluating
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costs and models for hospitality services at Reed Park and attendants for restrooms
adjacent to the south side of the Pier. Neither are currently funded.
At the request of and in partnership with Pier tenants, the City is exploring the idea of
forming a business improvement district (BID) of Pier and adjacent Ocean Front Walk
businesses. The City may also participate in the BID with the inclusion of the adjacent
City parking lots and beach areas around the Pier by implementing a parking rate
increase to generate funding to pay for the City’s portion of hospitality ambassador
services for the area.
In 2018 soap dispensers containing a combination hand/body wash were installed in all
beach and park restrooms citywide and a steam cleaning pilot program was initiated at
the beach restrooms as a response to the Hepatitis A outbreak in the Los Angeles
region. The pilot program to steam clean beach restrooms is currently funded through
FY2018-19 and work is performed nightly. This service ensures the restrooms are
sanitized, stocked, and ready for use each morning at the 6:00 a.m. opening. As part of
the biennial budget process, staff will recommend reprogramming existing funding to
allow for this work to continue, thus establishing steam cleaning of beach restrooms as
regular and ongoing maintenance.
Landscaping, Lighting, Facility Improvements and Cameras
Staff continually assesses the condition of Santa Monica’s parks, adjusts landscape
palettes and maintenance schedules, changes light fixtures and lighting levels, and
makes capital and safety improvements as needed, such as the following projects that
are currently in progress or have been completed:
Renovations to Reed Park buildings, pathways, playgrounds, and lighting
Replacement of Palisades Park petanque courts with native, drought-tolerant
plants
Conversion of light fixtures at four parks, including Reed and Palisades Parks, to
LED lights for increased safety and visibility
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Assessment and improvements to light levels and lighting infrastructure in
Tongva Park, currently an unfunded effort.
Reconstruction of Clover Park restrooms
Improvements to restrooms in Reed, Memorial, and Gandara Parks to enhance
safety and visibility
Determining feasibility and cost to install cameras in parks, currently an unfunded
effort.
Sharps Containers and Harm Reduction Substance Use Outreach
Santa Monica State Beach has 11 public restrooms that are open year-round from 6:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Four sharps boxes for hypodermic needle disposal were installed in
October 2018 adjacent to the wash sinks at the 1600 and 1700 Ocean Front Walk
beach restrooms as a pilot. These sharps boxes are checked weekly and are available
24-hours a day. It is estimated that over 200 needles have been collected to date and
the use has been consistent and similar at both restrooms. Staff will evaluate an
expansion of this program. In addition, staff from Venice Family Clinic’s Common
Ground program is joining the City-funded Santa Monica C3 multi-disciplinary street
team in Palisades and Tongva Parks part-time to engage high-risk drug users.
Following best-practices in harm reduction, Common Ground staff are providing
information on the program’s incentives for safe syringe exchange, counseling and
treatment options.
Beach Access and Usage
Santa Monica State Beach is currently open 24 hours day, seven days per week,
although beach parking lots and restrooms are closed at night. Beach parking lots are
open from 6:00 am to 6:00 p.m. from November 1 through March 31, and from 6:00 am
to 8:00 p.m. from April 1 through October 31, with the exception of Lot 1N north of the
Pier, which is open until 2:00 a.m.
Santa Monica has never had a beach curfew. The Santa Monica State Beach exists in
the multi-regulatory environment of the City of Santa Monica, the Stat e Parks
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Department, and the California Coastal Commission. The Coastal Commission
disfavors restrictions on beach access and, for example, authorizes beach curfews only
in accordance with a June 1994 Beach Curfew Guidance document that requires
presentation of credible evidence demonstrating the existence of a public safety
problem warranting the imposition of a beach curfew and careful consideration of
alternatives.
Engagement
Reiterating that homelessness is not a crime, the City recognizes that some of the
visible criminal or anti-social behavior in parks is committed by people living on our
streets. Reducing and preventing homelessness is congruent with making our parks
and beach safer for all.
Using one-time funds in 2015 and again in 2017, the City expanded capacity to engage
homeless people on the streets and in public spaces through the creation of two new
field-based treatment teams operated by The People Concern.
The Homeless Multi-disciplinary Street Team (HMST) is comprised of a clinician,
physician assistant, addiction specialist, case manager, medical doctor, and person with
lived experience and is focused on the highest 25 users of City police and fire services.
Since its launch in 2016, HMST has engaged 29 high users, 25 of whom have been
placed in interim housing, and 11 have been permanently housed. Once an individual is
housed, the team continues to offer support. New people are added to the list as
possible. HMST is jointly funded by the City and LA County Supervisorial District 3
through June 2019.
Furthermore, through a partnership with LA County Department of Health Services, the
City launched the Santa Monica County, City, Community (C3) multi-disciplinary team in
March 2018. Santa Monica C3 uses a similar staffing structure to focus engagement on
unsheltered homeless individuals in the downtown area, Tongva Park, and Reed Park.
The Santa Monica C3 team has engaged over 1000 unique individuals, connected 16 to
interim housing, 43 to medical services, 31 to mental health treatmen t and 4 have been
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placed in permanent housing. While every person contacted is offered services, the low
service utilization can be attributed to the fact that over 75% of the individuals contacted
are only seen once or twice, providing limited ability to follow-up.
In response to concerns centered around Reed and Tongva Parks, the City is working
with the Santa Monica C3 team and SMPD’s HLP Team to establish a mini Service
Registry that identifies, by name, individuals experiencing homelessness who are
regularly found in those two places. City staff will use the list to cross -check service
participation and first-responder contacts and work with Santa Monica C3 to develop
care plans for park regulars that may include connection to county services, linkage s to
Homeless Community Court, or reconnecting to friends and family through the City’s
Project Homecoming program.
In addition to these locally-funded treatment teams, City staff regularly coordinate the
presence and participation of regional county-funded outreach teams. There are
currently three additional multi-disciplinary teams, partially funded through Measure H,
operating in Service Planning Area 5 (the Westside) through St. Joseph Center that
provide proactive engagement and respond to outreach requests in areas of Santa
Monica not covered by the Santa Monica C3 team. City staff have worked to specifically
fold these county teams into coordinated outreach on the beach, alongside SMPD and
West Coast Care.
Funding for the HMST and Santa Monica C3 teams will expire on June 30, 2019;
ongoing local funding is not yet secured.
Food Distribution
Beginning with the adoption of “The Santa Monica Task Force on Homelessness: A Call
to Action” in 1991, City policy has promoted linking food services with supportive
services by encouraging that food be provided at an indoor location. Local legislation
adopted in 2002 requires people who distribute free meals and other food to the public
in City parks or on the lawn of City Hall to comply with all State and local laws and
standards regulating food service and distribution, including obtaining and displaying a
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valid permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Health, and obtaining a City
event permit for gatherings of greater than 150 people on public property.
A number of outdoor meal services relocated to the Access Center more than a decade
ago. In September 2018, Council discretionary funds were allocated for capital
improvements to the Salvation Army’s 4th Street site, which allowed Food Not Bombs, a
long-standing outdoor meal provider, to move its vegan meal service from the Third
Street Promenade indoors. A staff member from The Salvation Army and a
representative from West Coast Care are available during the meals to meet with
participants. Earlier this year the Westside Vineyard Church said publicly that its
congregants will stop providing Sunday lunches in Reed Park.
Yet, meals are still distributed in parks. Visual counts are conducted to determine
compliance with the City’s events permit law. AB 2178, which took effect as State law
on January 1, 2019, requires organizations that want to charitably feed the public to
register as limited service charitable feeding operations and pay a fee. Such operations
may give away whole, uncut produce and prepackaged, shelf-stable food, like granola
bars. They can also heat, portion, or assemble small amounts of commercially prepared
food, as well as store or distribute frozen foods. The County of Los Angeles’s Public
Health Department, Environmental Health Division will place information online
regarding limited service charitable feeding operators and manage the permit
registration process. To deal with other types of environmental health investigations, the
County added more investigators, but they are not assigned to charitable feeding
violations. There are 13 dedicated inspectors who cover a wide array of environmental
health issues throughout the County. As such, complaint-based investigations will be
conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Park Activation
An activated park is a more welcoming park, which is why the City has created
incentives for commercial fitness trainers, initiated new events, and welcomes the
community’s involvement in other ways to activate Reed Park.
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A month of Meet Me at Reed programming began in July 2017. The series of free
outdoor cultural programming expanded to eight performances between April and
September 2018 paired with staff-led family friendly activities and games on the lawn.
The park was activated from approximately 3:00 – 7:30 p.m. with people playing games,
picnicking, dancing, and enjoying the performances. Attendance fluctuated between 200
and 500 people per week. Additionally, staff has programmed the Reed Park lawn with
paid and free community classes, partnered with the Santa Monica Police Department
to present movies in the park, piloted Food Truck Tuesdays @ Reed Park, and recently
made a connection with residents who have ideas for community-driven art and
beautification projects. A Meet Me at Reed 2019 program with a weekly series of family-
friendly programming on Saturday afternoons was developed for the month of January,
however inclement weather led to the cancellation of the series. Staff is working to
reschedule it to later this year. Additional outdoor cultural programming, partner events,
and more will continue to occur at Reed Park throughout the year.
Although City staff began producing Meet Me at Reed in 2017, broadened it in 2018,
and added even more events for 2019, staff lacks the capacity to further expand the
series or add more programming to other parks. Community members are encouraged
to take ownership of their neighborhood open spaces and organize programming and
activations.
Education
The City has secured a grant from the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative to
develop an online training curriculum to build understanding and awareness among the
general public and employees on how to engage with persons experiencing
homelessness and how to connect them to the regional homelessness services delivery
system. The project is in production with an anticipated release of the first few modules
in spring 2019. This curriculum will be made available to neighboring cities that
compose the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WCCOG). Staff encourages the
community to complete the training and use the information learned to positively engage
with people experiencing homelessness.
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Measuring Effectiveness
The following park- and beach-specific data points will measure the eff ectiveness of
City-led and community-organized strategies to develop and maintain public spaces that
are welcoming, safe, and accessible to all. Data will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Strategy Metric
Public Safety
Deployment
# of PSOs deployed full-time in parks
# of PSO responses to dispatched radio calls
# of PSO self-initiated calls for service
Field-Based Services # of outreach events in parks
Hospitality Services
(Ambassadors)
# of park rule violations (Tongva Park)
# of park rule violations (Palisades Park)
Engagement
# of people on the Tongva Park Service Registry
# connected to County Services
# linked to Homeless Community Court
# reunited with family or friends through Project Homecoming
# of people on the Reed Park Service Registry
# connected to County Services
# linked to Homeless Community Court
# reunited with family or friends through Project Homecoming
Park Activation
# of Meet Me @ Reed events
# of participants in Meet Me @ Reed events
# of community-organized park activations
Facility Improvements # of park capital improvement projects completed
Beach # of needles collected in beach restrooms
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Commission Action
On January 17, 2019 the Recreation and Parks Commission held a public hearing to
engage the public on the topic of park and beach safety per the request of the Council.
Following the public testimony, the Commission adopted a number of recommendations
for consideration by the Council as further described below and detailed in attachment
B.
The Commission suggested that the Council consider providing staff with direction in
support of:
a pilot program to station sworn officers at Reed Park around-the-clock for 90
days and report on the results
more police in parks
restrictions on park usage by those convicted of parks-based crimes
a nuisance abatement strategy for the 7-Eleven on Wilshire Blvd. near Reed
Park
the possibility of a beach curfew
the creation of a location for a shelter where people can sleep during the day, or
“day beds”
The Commission also identified the following priorities for the City’s upcoming operating
and capital budget proposals:
ongoing local funding to sustain the HMST and Santa Monica C3 outreach and
treatment teams
ongoing funding for hospitality services at Reed Park and attendants for
restrooms adjacent to the south side of the Pier
ongoing funding for park programming
one-time funding for lighting improvements in Tongva Park, park-based
surveillance cameras, and emergency phones (blue phones)
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of
recommended action. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required
in the future. Any new one-time or ongoing funding requests will be included in the
FY2019-21 Biennial Operating Budget or the FY2019-20 Exception-Based Capital
Improvement Program Budget.
Prepared By: Danielle Noble, Assistant Director
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A - RPC Park Safety 10 16 18
B. Attachment B - RPC Park & Beach Safety Recommendations 1 19
C. Attachment C - Summary of Park and Beach Safety Strategies
D. Written Comments
E. PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment C
Summary of Park and Beach Safety Strategies
Strategy
Time Frame to Complete Funding
Partners
In
place
1-6
months
6-12
months
12-18
months
Existing
- City
New
-
City
New -
Partner
Prohibit camping in public
spaces X X SMPD, CAO
Impose reasonable time,
place, and manner
restrictions for solicitation
and peddling X X SMPD, CAO
Evaluate current
enforcement of laws and
areas for additional laws and
other regulations. X X SMPD, CAO
Municipal code rules for
parks, beaches, and facilities X X
SMPD,
CAO, CCS
Use nuisance abatement
tools to protect public spaces X X
SMPD,
CAO, Code
Enforcement by sworn and
non-sworn personnel X X SMPD
Public Services Officers X X SMPD
Homeless Liaison Program
Team + Dept. of Mental
Health X X SMPD
Mounted patrol X X SMPD
Harbor Patrol X X SMPD
Crime Impact Team X X SMPD
Patrol Officers X X SMPD
Narcotics Unit X X SMPD
Family Reunification via
Project Homecoming X X SMPD
Dedicated operations X X SMPD
Mobile Command Post X X SMPD
Signage X X CCS, PW
Virtual City Hall for
maintenance and social
service requests X X CMO, ISD
Hospitality services in
Tongva and Palisades Parks X X
HED, PW,
CCS
Hospitality services in Reed
Park X X
HED, PW,
CCS
Strategy
Time Frame to Complete Funding
Partners
In
place
1-6
months
6-12
months
12-18
months
Existing
- City
New
-
City
New -
Partner
Restroom attendants for
facility adjacent to Pier
(south side) X X
Pier Corp,
CCS, HED,
PW
Hospitality services on the
Pier and adjacent beach
areas X X
Pier
Tenants,
CCS, HED
Soap dispensers in beach
and park restrooms X X PW, CCS
Steam cleaning of beach
restrooms X X PW, CCS
Park assessments,
modification of maintenance
schedules X X PW , CCS
Replace Palisades Park
petanque courts with native
plants X X PW, CCS
Convert park light fixtures to
LEDs X X PW, CCS
Assess and modify lighting
levels in Tongva Park X X PW, CCS
Reconstruct Clover Park
restrooms X X PW, CCS
Capital improvements to
Reed, Gandara Park, and
Memorial Park restrooms X X PW, CCS
Renovations to Reed Park
buildings, playgrounds, and
landscaping and installation
of walking paths and fitness
equipment X X PW, CCS
Installation of security
cameras X X
ISD, SMPD,
CCS
Sharps container in beach
restrooms (pilot) X X PW, CCS
Information about safe
syringe exchange and
treatment X X
The People
Concern,
Common
Ground
Pursue development of
additional beach regulations X X
CCS,
SMPD, CAO
Strategy
Time Frame to Complete Funding
Partners
In
place
1-6
months
6-12
months
12-18
months
Existing
- City
New
-
City
New -
Partner
Ongoing local field-based
treatment teams (HMST and
C3) X X
CCS, The
People
Concern
Create Tongva and Reed
Park service registries X X
CCS,
SMPD, The
People
Concern
Coordinated outreach (E6
Team, SMPD, West Coast
Care) X X
CCS,
SMPD, St.
Joseph
Center
Incentives for Reed Park
fitness trainers X X CCS
Meet Me at Reed 2019
programming X X CCS
Community organized park
activations X X
Commission,
Community
On-line training on how to
engage with persons
experiencing homelessness X X
CCS, Los
Angeles
County,
WCCOG
City Departments and Divisions
CAO – City Attorney’s Office
CCS – Community and Cultural Services Department
Code – Code Enforcement Division, Planning and Community Development Department
HED – Housing and Economic Development Department
ISD – Information Systems Department
PW – Public Works Department
SMPD – Santa Monica Police Department
Service Providers
Common Ground
St. Joseph’s Center
The People Concern
Partners
Los Angeles County
The Pier Corporation
WCCOG – Westside Cities Council of Governments
From:The SEO Doctors
To:Clerk Mailbox
Subject:SM Council 3/5/19 - Item 4A
Date:Tuesday, March 5, 2019 7:46:56 AM
Strategies for Park and Beach Use
First thing I think of is homeless. The park/beach is the first resort when you have nothing.
The morning routine and food. If we take care of these needs, and a place for people to safely
be, we'll get rid of people using the library and parks as a public fart zone. Once that's not an
issue, we should have activities and equipment at the parks and beaches for people to
rent/check out. Footballs, soccer balls, bikes, surfboards, skateboards, think about an activity
and we'll have some to rent. Then people will go to the parks and the beaches.
But people kind of already go to the beaches. Not a hard sell there. I think again, take care of
the morning and nightly routine of people on the street, and safety will increase dramatically.
Then just have cops run the beat. But like, hang out. There's nothing more protective than a
person actually there. Line of sight. But I mean, I honestly think it should be ok to sleep on the
beach. We just have to remove the sketch. If there's no reason for crime, I don't see why it
would happen ?
Korie Schmidt
(310)600-2278
TheSEODoctors@gmail.com
Item 4-A
3/05/2019
1 of 1 Item 4-A
3/05/2019
Parks & Beach Safety,
Public Health, Maintenance,
and Activation
March 5, 2019
Background
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
Recreation and Parks
Commission recommended a series of actions
related to: park closure, camping, beach
closure, cameras and lighting, food distribution,
and public safety personnel and presence.
Oct. 11, 2018
Council requested that the Commission further engage
the public, make recommendations for the FY 2019-21
budget, and directed staff to prepare for a future
Council study session.
Nov. 13, 2018
Council Study Session
Mar. 5, 2019
Recreation and Parks Commission held a public
hearing and recommended funding priorities.
Jan. 17, 2019
Vision
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
Public spaces that are welcoming , safe,
and accessible to all.
Vision
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Enhanced activation
•Improvements to infrastructure
•Ongoing maintenance
•Monitoring
•Re porting and enforcement
•Services and amenities
Strategy –1. Public Safety
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Local Law
•Enforcement by sworn and non-sworn personnel
•Field-based services and operations
•Signage and reporting
CITY & PARTNERS
Strategy –1. Public Safety
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Municipal code
•Re asonable time, place, and manner restrictions for solicitation and peddling
•Prohibit camping in public spaces and lying in certain doorways at night
•Use nuisance abatement tools to protect public spaces
•Rules for parks, beaches, and facilities
•Evaluate current enforcement of local laws and areas for additional laws and other regulations
LOCAL LAW
Strategy –1. Public Safety
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team + Department of Mental Health (DMH)
•Public Services Officers (PSO)
•24 PSOs in Downtown and parks
•Palisades, To ngva, Reed, Memorial, Virginia Avenue •6:00 a.m. –11:00 p.m., 7 days a week•2 PSOs, 4:00 a.m. start Monday –Thursday
ENFORCEMENT
Strategy –1. Public Safety
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•We st Coast Care
•Beach and park outreach
•Project Homecoming
•Pop-up Outreach
•Special Operations
•Mobile Command Post
•Mounted Patrol
FIELD-BASED SERVICES
Strategy –1. Public Safety
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Incident Data
•“See Something Say
Something ” signs
•Santa Monica Works App
DATA AND REPORTING
Strategy –2. Hospitality and Maintenance
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
CITY & PARTNERS
•Hospitality services in To ngva and Palisades Parks
•Soap dispensers in beach and park restrooms
•Steam cleaning at the beach
•Additional hospitality services
NEW ONGOING FUNDING NEEDED
Strategy –3. Landscape and Infrastructure
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
CITY
•Pa rk assessments and modifications
•Lighting improvements in To ngva Pa rk, security
cameras in parks, emergency (blue) phones
NEW ONE-TIME FUNDING NEEDED
Strategy-4. Harm Reduction
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Sharps containers in select beach restrooms
•Outreach and information to high-risk drug users
CITY & PARTNERS
Strategy –5. Beach Usage
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Pursue development of additional beach regulations
CITY & PARTNERS
Strategy –6. Engagement
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Field-based treatment teams
•HMST and C3
•Coordinated outreach
•To ngva and Reed Park by-name Service Registries
CITY & PARTNERS
•Continue and expand field-based treatment teams
NEW ONGOING FUNDING NEEDED
Strategy –7. Food Distribution
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Enforcement of new State law (AB 2178) regarding limited
service charitable feeding
COUNTY
Strategy –8. Park Activation
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Programs in park spaces
•Incentives for fitness trainers
•Meet Me at Reed
CITY & PUBLIC
•Community orga nized park activations
NEW INVESTMENTS NEEDED
Strategy –9. Education
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
•Online training: how to engage with persons experiencing
homelessness
•City of Santa Monica Yo uTube Channel -Tips and Tools for
Addressing Homelessness in Santa Monica
•We are.santamonica.gov
EVERYO NE
Metrics
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
Public Safety Deployment
PSOs deployed full-time in parks
PSO responses to dispatched radio calls
PSO self-initiated calls for service
Engagement
people on the To ngva Park and Reed Park Service Registries
-connected to County Services
-linked to Homeless Community Court
-reunited with family or friends through Project Homecoming
Number of }
Number of }
Metrics
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
Number of }
Number of }
Field-Based Services
outreach events in parks
Hospitality Services
park rule violations in To ngva Park and Palisades Park
Facility Improvements
park capital improvement projects completedNumber of }
Metrics
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
Number of }
Number of }
Park Activation
Meet Me @ Reed events
participants in Meet Me @ Reed events
community-based park activations
Beach
needles collected in beach restrooms
Commission Recommendations
Background Vision Strategies Metrics Recommendations
FY 2019-21 BIENNIAL OPERATING BUDGET
FY 2019-20 EXCEPTION-BASED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET
•Outreach and treatment teams
•Hospitality services
•Park programming
•Park lighting and safety infrastructure
DIRECTION IN SUPPORT OF
•Park and beach programs and operations
•Nuisance abatement
•Additional local shelter capacity
1.Public Safety
2.Hospitality and Maintenance
3.Landscape and Infrastructure
4.Harm Reduction
5.Beach Usage
6.Engagement
7.Fo od Distribution
8.Pa rk Activation
9.Education
Strategies to Invest In:
Parks & Beach Safety,
Public Health, Maintenance,
and Activation
March 5, 2019