April 17, 2023
Public Safety Reform & Oversight Commission
VIA EMAIL: Derek.Devermont@santamonica gov &
Brian.Stedge-Stroud@santamonica.gov
Public Safety Reform & Oversight Commission:
We appreciate the invitation to discuss the elimination of pretext vehicle stops in the City of Santa Monica; however, we believe this is further anti-police rhetoric and we do not want to add legitimacy to a topic that is fundamentally flawed and undermines the rule of law. We are committed to providing a safe community, and adamantly oppose a policy that would forbid low level traffic stops and take away law enforcement’s ability to use a tool to proactively prevent crime and the victimization of those who live, work, and visit the City.
The POA is open to ideas to effectively improve policing and community relations here in Santa Monica but not at the expense of common sense for constitutionally affirmed tactics that have a proven track record of improving public safety. We know that enforcing low-level infractions has yielded more serious level offenses and allowed officers to remove dangerous drugs and weapons from our streets. We are hopeful the Commission will take seriously their directive to keep Santa Monica safe and not make a recommendation to slowly remove effective tools from the officers that patrol your neighborhood on a daily basis.
Sincerely,
Kristina Cochran, Vice-Chairman
Santa Monica Police Officers’ Association
