Not only did Santa Monica police lose control of public order during a chaotic day of looting last May, according to new information that has surfaced since
Los Angeles published a detailed expose of the debacle, the oceanside city has made a considerable mess of the aftermath, too.
Documents obtained via public records requests and new interviews reveal that Santa Monica hired two seasoned veterans of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, now working as private consultants, to conduct a postmortem and recommend corrective action within weeks of the police department ceding control of large swaths of the city to opportunists who ransacked hundreds of storefronts with impunity. An underprepared and understaffed police department had focused its attention on a largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protest near the oceanfront and failed to respond to emergency calls from hundreds of panicked residents elsewhere who were fearful for their property and their personal safety.
Top Stories of 2020 -- SUMMER surfsantamonica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from surfsantamonica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Year in Review Part 4: November
Dec. 30, 2020 at 6:00 am
After several months of closure Muscle Beach officially reopened in Santa Monica. The County cleared it for reopening in line with the same requirements as playgrounds. People were required to wear a mask at all times they are in the park. In addition, visits were limited to thirty minutes if others were using the equipment, eating and drinking were not allowed, and people must remain six feet away from non household members.
Relaxed regulations in the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier and other commercial zones were extended by City Councilmembers until the end of 2022 in an attempt to bolster the economic recovery of local businesses.
Year in Review Part 3: August
Dec. 29, 2020 at 6:00 am
Bike shops were one of the businesses with unique problems caused by the pandemic. With residents forced to look for new recreation options, sales surged at local shops however stores were unable to find enough bikes to sell as inventory pipelines collapsed. Repair wait times skyrocketed as thousands of residents tried to fix old equipment. Similar shortages hit products like camping equipment, baking supplies, home office equipment and outdoor heaters as various industries reacted to pandemic restrictions.
Businesses began closing permanently due to the pandemic. Restaurants like Ippudo Ramen, Dialogue, Enterprise Fish Co. and Panini Grill were among the eateries who didn’t survive the year while the closures also claimed various retail establishments.
Council Challengers Win Among Homeowners, Share Tenant Vote surfsantamonica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from surfsantamonica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.