Local Policy: Crime and Homelessness in Santa Monica

Santa Monica has, in recent years, seen an uptick in crime and homelessness. In 2022, the city was ranked the 224th safest out of 230 Californian cities, according to a report done by Safewise. Calls for police service surged 25 percent in 2024 to 128,820 from the previous 96,795 calls in 2023, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Simultaneously, there has been a recent resurgence of the homeless population in Santa Monica, particularly those living in vehicles in and around beach areas, which serve as key tourist destinations within the city. 

Eugene Naruse/The Samohi

The Salvation Army- 4th St, Santa Monica

In contrast, there has been improvement with Santa Monica’s more serious crimes, including murder, grand theft auto, rape, and burglary, which have gone down two percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Crime is also visible in major shopping areas in Santa Monica, including the Third Street Promenade, as illustrated by a recent robbery attempt on the shoe store, Sole & Laces, which resulted in the shooting of the thief by the shopkeeper. In another separate incident, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) arrested 10 people as part of a retail theft ring operating in the Promenade and surrounding areas.

In Santa Monica, the growth of the unhoused population has been a continued concern for the local government and some of the city’s residents. The number of homeless people increased from 774 in 2024 to 812 in 2025. A contributing factor to this rise is the growth of the unhoused living in vehicles from 21 to 84 in 2024. This growth has mostly been concentrated around the beach areas, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press and the City of Santa Monica’s website. However, there has also been a growth in the number of the unhoused who have been moved into shelters, rising from 173 in 2024 to 202 in 2025, as stated by the City of Santa Monica’s website. In those shelters, the Pathway Home program has helped add 25 transitional beds. There has also been a decrease in tents and makeshift shelters in Santa Monica.

In response to what they believe is a crisis, some citizens have banded together to form grassroots organizations, demanding policy changes in City Hall. One of them, the Santa Monica Coalition, was established by a group of business owners, alongside others, who believe that homelessness and crime have become too much for them to ignore. A message on their website claims that Santa Monica is not safe.

“Long gone are the days of booming tourism, a thriving promenade and carefree outdoor spaces for locals to gather and enjoy the California sun… Our city has been taken over by the mentally ill and addicted who desperately need help,” ____

Even though some Santa Monicans are concerned about crime and homelessness, the issue doesn’t seem to be affecting some Samo students' way of life, like Vidar Öhman (’28).

“Santa Monica is typically a pretty calm place,” Öhman said. “Now and then, there are violent people, but there's not a high chance of that necessarily happening. Usually, you can just walk around anytime. There are a lot of homeless people around parks that I like to go to, but they don’t necessarily bother anyone, if they're just there.”

Similar to Öhman, Ty Mistletree (’28) expressed how, while crime and homelessness are observable in Santa Monica, it isn’t on a large or violent scale.

“I've seen homelessness and I've seen a few cases of shoplifting, but nothing too major. There's a little bit of shoplifting. It’s just petty theft for snacks from convenience stores and gas stations,” Mistletree said.

On the subject of how the city could respond to the issue of homelessness, Öhman said he thought the city should do more by investing in places for the unhoused to stay. 

“I think the City needs to use tax dollars to invest in places for the homeless to stay and allow them to get ‘onto their feet’ at least,” Öhman said. 

Alongside these issues come the recent resignations of officials within the Santa Monica City government, including Police Chief Ramón Batista, Community Development Director Arminé Chaparyan, City Attorney Doug Sloan and Director of Housing and Human Services Heather Averick. 

With ongoing concerns about homelessness and crime, safety in Santa Monica remains a relevant topic of public concern.