Santa Monicans March Against Crime

By Anne La Jeunesse

Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. addresses crowd at Palisades Park

About 1,000 Santa Monicans wound their way through the Promenade and down to Palisades Park Tuesday evening during the city's sixth annual participation in "National Night Out," a nationwide stance against crime and promotion of community spirit.

The event was the most elaborate yet for Santa Monica. Largely organized by the Santa Monica Police Department's Community Relations Department, Tuesday's event included a rousing welcome with entertainment by mariachis, the Ballet Folklorico de Las Virginias, and the Santa Monica Sweet Adeline Chorus.

As participants gathered on the Wilshire Blvd. end of the Promenade and chatted, 8-year-old Craig Carcary sat on the sidewalk, cuddling with police canine, Jako, a Belgian Malinois who looked anything but ferocious.

"He likes me so much," Craig said, wiping a dog-kiss from his cheek.

The award-winning Santa Monica High School marching band, led by director Terry Sakow and Nick Jones, 17, in his debut as the mace-carrying drum major, struck up "On Santa Monica," to the familiar tune of "On Wisconsin." Citizens, city officials, police officers and fire department officials followed the band and a Police Explorer Post color guard down the Promenade to Palisades Park for a community celebration.

Police Chief James T. Butts Jr. led the police contingent, guiding the wheelchair of a well-known Santa Monica figure, Esther Smicklas, the mother of Mayor Pam O'Connor. Smicklas smiled broadly and waved to the crowd.

Fire Department Chief Ettore Berardinelli walked proudly down the Promenade, arms linked with his daughter, Katie.

The theme of the evening was perhaps best summed up by Santa Monica Fire Department spokeswoman Roni Roseberg, who described an incident that occurred at the Palisades Park celebration.

"Somebody found a wallet and turned it into the podium," Roseberg said. "That's what the spirit of this whole thing is about, watching out for each other."

The event was attended by the largest group of individuals and organizations in the history of the city's participation, according to Butts.

Organized Neighborhood Watch groups, youth organizations and public safety groups provided information on everything from Y2K preparations to blood donations and first aid.

Butts credited the residents and police for continuing to bring about a decrease in crime, and Mayor Pam O'Connor praised Santa Monica's young and old for watching out for each other.

Marching along with the crowd, former councilman and current planning commissioner Kelly Olsen wore a badge that stated "Wouldn't it be great if National Night Out was held next year in the Pico Neighborhood."

Olsen said that he thinks the people who live in the Pico Neighborhood area "would be thrilled to see this kind of police support" in their area.

His sentiments were echoed by City Councilman Kevin McKeowen, who said he believes the event would be a great success if held in Pico Neighborhood's Virginia Park.

The area has been the topic of neighborhood scrutiny, with residents calling for more police presence. The Virginia Park police substation has recently reopened.

The Santa Monica National Night Out project, headed by Community Relations member Lauralee Asch, was honored as best event last year by the National Association of Town Watch, which started the event a decade and a half ago.