SMPD Stats Show Shocking Drop in Traffic Enforcement

Statistics released in an email from the City Manager show a shocking drop in the amount of traffic stops made by the Santa Monica Police Department over the last decade. In 2015, the department issued 12,526 total traffic citations. That number dropped every year until the pandemic saw a temporary massive drop in traffic. However, last year the total number of citations had only gone up to 2,508.

The most shocking data point is that in the year 2021, SMPD gave out only 772 citations.

Over the last five years, the number of traffic collisions has also risen every year, albeit slowly, following a post-pandemic jump from a low of 840 in 2020 to 1164 last year. 

The City Council has been asking for this data for years, and given the massive drop in activity, it’s easy to see why providing it hasn’t been a top priority. The new contract for SMPD, which saw an increase in salary and overtime over what was allowed for other city departments, was approved by the Council last month.

In June, when the SMPD released its annual crime report, Next reached out to the department to ask why the traffic enforcement data that the Council, and especially Councilmember Jesse Zwick, have been asking for. Here is the question and answer from that exchange.

Next: Is there a timeline for publishing traffic enforcement data, as requested by Council? 

SMPD: Traffic enforcement data is currently reported to City Council on a quarterly basis. In addition, we share weekly enforcement activity through our public-facing Blue Notebook post, which is available on the City’s website and highlights notable police activity, including traffic-related enforcement.

Traffic enforcement is a top priority for our department. We collaborate closely with the city’s Department of Transportation to analyze real-time data and implement targeted strategies that improve safety on our streets.

The City’s Information Services Department (ISD) is actively developing a dedicated traffic enforcement dashboard to provide broader public access to this data. While there is no set launch date, this remains a priority for our data transparency efforts.

About The Author

Damien Newton

Damien is the executive director of the Southern California Streets Initiative which publishes Santa Monica Next, Streetsblog Los Angeles, Streetsblog San Francisco, Streetsblog California and Longbeachize.

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