The following is a submission from the City of Santa Monica.
The city of Santa Monica is deploying enhanced police presence starting this week at the Santa Monica Pier, in Palisades Park, on the beach and throughout downtown, following two public safety incidents this past weekend. The added patrols will provide residents, businesses and visitors with a visible, consistent public safety presence at key locations across the city.
This stepped-up deployment follows a shooting that injured a robbery victim in downtown Santa Monica on Sunday, and an officer-involved shooting in Palisades Park on Saturday. On Sunday, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officers immediately rendered aid to the victim and arrested the suspected shooter within hours of the incident. Detectives are actively pursuing the remaining suspects, and additional arrests are anticipated. Saturday’s officer-involved shooting is being investigated consistent with established protocol, and the city will release body-worn camera footage of the incident within the next few weeks. Additional information on both incidents is available through the city of Santa Monica website.
“Our responsibility is to protect everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Santa Monica,” said Police Chief Darrick Jacob. “That means being present, visible, and accessible. Our officers are on the Pier, in our parks, along the beach, throughout downtown, and in our residential neighborhoods, day and night. That presence builds trust, supports safety, and allows us to respond when our community needs us.”
In addition to enhanced patrols, the city will conduct direct outreach to downtown and Pier businesses in the coming days to hear concerns and share safety resources. Residents and businesses are also invited to join officers for Coffee with a Cop at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, Aug. 25, from noon to 2 p.m., the first in a series, which serves a direct, in-person forum to meet the officers patrolling these areas, ask questions, and be heard. An additional Coffee with a Cop event will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. at the SMPD Downtown Substation, 395 Santa Monica Place.
“The events of this past weekend were unacceptable, and our community deserves to see how seriously we take our public safety responsibilities,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “That means swift accountability for anyone who commits violence here, more officers in the places where people gather, and meeting in person with our residents and businesses to hear their concerns. Public safety is the foundation that everything else in our community rests on, and keeping Santa Monica safe is work we pursue together, every single day.”
The enhanced deployment builds on sustained public safety progress in Santa Monica. Serious crime citywide fell 12.5% in 2025, and SMPD is at full sworn staffing for the first time in more than 20 years.
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