SMPD Chief: Cyclists at Fault for Bulk of Bike-Related Collisions in 2011

As  of late, the has seen positive and negative trends in the city. Crime is down in Santa Monica, and that has also been the case throughout Los Angeles County in recent months. In January, for example, violent crimes were down 8.22 percent and serious property crimes declined 3.92 percent in the county, compared to the same time frame in 2010.

On the other hand, traffic-related fatalities in Santa Monica have been on the rise. On Dec. 23, a fatal traffic accident occurred after a Santa Monica resident, who was using a crosswalk, was struck by a car. It was the city's first fatal traffic accident in more than a year.

Less than two months later, on Feb. 12, another Santa Monica resident was killed after drag-racing on Wilshire Blvd. Then, three days later, a homeless individual was hit by a vehicle while crossing Ocean Ave. at Arizona Ave.; he later died in a local hospital.

Santa Monica Patch recently touched base with SMPD Chief Tim Jackman to discuss crime, traffic-related injuries and a wide range of other topics. Jackman recently entered his fifth year with the department following nearly a quarter-century of service with the Long Beach Police Department.

Santa Monica Patch: What are the SMPD's top priorities for 2011?

Chief Tim Jackman: The Santa Monica Police Department will be focusing on the City of Santa Monica’s priorities: traffic circulation, homeless issues, and gang and youth violence.

Patch: Is the department going to taking any measures to raise awareness or otherwise combat drag racing? Is anything being done to address the rise in bicycle-related accidents throughout the city? How about pedestrian/traffic issues, particularly on Wilshire Blvd.?

Jackman: The drag-racing fatality on Wilshire Blvd. is a tragedy. Santa Monica is not known in the street-racing circuits as a location to race.

In regards to bicycle and pedestrian related issues, the SMPD addressed this in many facets. We utilize education as a primary component to make sure bicycles and pedestrians are safe. Since the first of the year, we have had 17 bicycle-involved collisions. Of those collisions, 13 had the bicyclist at fault.

The SMPD will continue to conduct pedestrian-crosswalk operations. Those operations consist of motor officers monitoring crosswalks throughout the city for vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians. We will also have department personnel walking in crosswalks to see if vehicles fail to yield. The SMPD will continue to work closely with other city departments to address bicycle/pedestrian-related issues.

Patch: Did Santa Monica have as steep a drop in homicides, robberies and burglaries in 2010 as the rest of LA did? When was the last time Santa Monica has had such a low crime rate? And what has factored into the drop?

Jackman: Yes, SMPD did see a drop from the previous year in homicides, robberies and residential burglaries. Santa Monica has continually been dropping our crime rates. We have not seen these low of numbers since the 1950s.

Patch: Has the in Santa Monica contributed to the drop in crime in the city?

Jackman: As the City of Santa Monica continues to address homelessness and finding [housing for] individuals, the propensity of the homeless becoming victims dramatically declines. Homeless-related calls for service have been reduced in the downtown and Third Street [areas]. This can also be attributed to the fine work of the Bayside’s District Ambassadors.

Patch: What is the source of the rise in shoplifting crimes in Santa Monica? What measures are being taken to reverse that trend?

Jackman: Shoplifting is a crime that affects many of our businesses in Santa Monica. We work with stores that have been victims of theft and see if we can help with merchandise placement and/or other alternatives to reduce theft.

Patch: Has the reopening of affected crime, for better or worse?

Jackman: The City of Santa Monica is fortunate to have an addition to our world-class shopping in the downtown area. We do not have a lot of data yet to see what affect the Santa Monica Place has on shoplifting. We have been working closely with their management to ensure that we work together to reduce incidents of shoplifting.

Patch: What spurred the SMPD to finally implement Drug Abuse Resistance Education? How will the implementation of the program be achieved?

Jackman: Although DARE has been in existence for a long time, it is still a viable program to educate youth about drugs and other social issues. Our officers from [the Police Activities League] have partnered with the [Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District] to implement this program at . So far we have received very positive responses from the participants, parents and school.

Patch: Is there any legitimacy to the recent CQ Press report that suggests New York City is safer than Santa Monica?

Jackman: I’m unaware of the methodology of how the list was compiled, but I know that our city is a safe place to work, live, and play. The entire city takes great strides in going the extra distance in addressing anything that could be construed as negative.

[This interview has been edited and condensed.]

For more on traffic safety in Santa Monica, read by Gary Kavanagh. Also, go to share your own thoughts about what can be done to help make Santa Monica's streets safer.