I believe the voting public is now generally aware that the Establishment slate of city council candidates -- Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, and Natalya Zernitskaya -- unanimously supports LA County DA George Gascon and his failed policies.

But I’m less sure voters are equally mindful of these candidates’ open hypocrisy, apathy, and cluelessness about deterring crime in Santa Monica, vitally important considering the relentless violent crime here, illustrated most recently by a sucker-punch knife attack on an SMPD officer ("Santa Monica Officer Fatally Shoots Attacker," October 5, 2024).

And make no mistake: These candidates’ stance on crime is what defines them. Deceitful posturing on rent control is nonsense. The Santa Monica City Charter protects rent control by law and no candidate in the race wants to end it.

Furthermore, the facts show voters are correct in concluding candidates who support Gascon’s criminal-friendly policies would weaken public safety in Santa Monica.

After all, Gascon is so criminal-friendly a convicted child molester boasted about receiving a light sentence, a convicted murderer was so enamored with Gascon's soft touch he vowed to tattoo the DA’s name on his face, and a convicted felon killed two police officers after Gascon put him back on the streets via a plea bargain.

Moreover, California Department of Justice statistics reveal violent crime and property crime increased in LA County since Gascon took office, while both overall crime and felony arrests have increased in Santa Monica for three consecutive years.

Unfortunately, though, the crime-indulgence of Hall, Raskin, Snell, and Zernitskaya hardly ends with supporting Gascon.

Consider, too, that these four candidates are endorsed by an organization, the Santa Monica Democratic Club, whose president called for defunding SMPD.

Indeed, candidates Hall and Zernitskaya are members of that very same defund-the-police organization. And Zernitskaya is a current officer, while Hall served as a Vice President alongside the defund-the-police president.

Hall asserts he “never supported” defunding the police, yet favors funding a dozen of what he calls “safety” programs besides policing, including “after school programs,” “libraries,” and “climate resiliency.”

Sure, those’ll keep the criminals away.

And it’s not just the Santa Monica Democratic Club endorsing these four crime-friendly candidates but also Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR), apparently unconcerned that renters surely represent a major share of Santa Monica’s crime victims.

Meanwhile, candidate Raskin is so apathetic about Santa Monica criminal activity he offered two policy-priority statements that didn’t name “reducing crime” as even a top-three issue.

And Zernitskaya, in a series of mental contortions worthy of a carnival performer, stated she believes Santa Monica should “reduce crime” by building “more affordable housing,” and supporting “food giveaways,” but dismissed a proposal to fund more police officers as “ridiculous.”

Clueless.

Candidate Snell? He chaired Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM), piloting security strategy for our downtown area and Promenade.

No crime problem there, right?

So November’s choice is clear: either a clown-car group that would undermine public safety or a competing slate -— Phil Brock, John Putnam, Vivian Roknian, and Oscar de la Torre -- committed to creating a Safer Santa Monica.

Sincerely,

Peter DiChellis
Santa Monica