By Jorge Casuso

August 29, 2024 -- A coalition of new local political groups threw its support Wednesday behind a slate of pro-law-enforcement candidates trying to hold on to a slim City Council majority.

Santa Monicans United (SMU), Hospitality Santa Monica and local small business owners will provide significant funding to boost the slate composed of two incumbents and two business owners in the race for four open seats.

Mayor Phil Brock, Councilmember Oscar de la Torre, Dr. Vivian Roknian and John Putnam will attempt to fend off a rival slate backed by Santa Monica's political establishment that is trying to regain control of the Council.

The four candidates, said SMU director Ashley Oelsen, are "unyielding in their commitment to public safety and providing law enforcement and first responders the tools they need to combat crime and improve the quality of life for all Santa Monicans."

In a joint press release, the "Unified Coalition" noted that reported aggravated assaults have risen over the past decade -- from 188 incidents in 2014 to 476 last year.

Meanwhile, reports of shoplifting rose 14 percent year-over-year, an estimate that "is likely conservative, as many owners may hesitate to report shoplifting due to concerns over increased insurance costs," the coalition said.

“Violent crimes and property crimes in Santa Monica have increased dramatically during the past decade,” said Oelsen, who heads the group of "concerned residents and local businesses."

“Our City’s population keeps growing, but city leaders have only marginally increased its police force, hampering crime prevention efforts and putting our communities at risk.”

The City also has "spent hundreds of millions of dollars" to address homelessness, which remains "both a public safety and a public health crisis," Oelsen said.

“First responders who handle homeless emergencies every day must be given the tools -– and the support -– they need to manage this crisis."

Crime and homelessness have taken a major toll on Santa Monica's economy, which has been slow to recover from the coronavirus shutdown that devastated the city's tourism industry four years ago ("Tourism Industry's Recovery Loses Some Ground," May 6, 2024).

Local restaurants and businesses "are struggling to stay open as crime and homelessness have made operating more dangerous and more expensive," said Lucian Tudor a restaurant owner and member of Hospitality Santa Monica.

“These businesses provide good jobs for residents while also delivering critical City revenue that supports essential services,” Tudor said.

The coalition's announcement came the same say the City's Police and Firefighters unions made their eagerly awaited endorsements, backing the two incumbents, Roknian and Rent Control Board Chair Ericka Lesley.

Lesley was a startling choice, given her support for reforming the law enforcement and justice systems, policies shared by the City's political establishment ("Public Safety Unions Deal Blow to Establishment Slate," August 28, 2024).

But with the financial backing of the public safety unions -- which combined have nearly $200,000 in hand -- Lesley could siphon votes from the slate backed by Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) and the Democratic Club.

Both groups snubbed her in favor of a slate composed of SMC Trustee Barry Snell, Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin, Natalya Zernitskaya and Pier Corporation Board Chair Dan Hall, all of whom endorse the reelection of controversial LA County District Attorney George Gascon.