By Jorge Casuso

January 28, 2026 -- The City Council unanimously approved a $3.5 million Restorative Justice Program Tuesday that is one of the largest locally funded initiatives of its kind in the nation.

Five years in the making, the citywide program will be initially funded with revenues from the RAND development agreement, which includes another $2 million the City will receive by mid-2028.

The motion the Council approved also establishes a Restorative Justice Commission and hires a professional administrator to develop and run the program

"This is the first time that we've ever actually moved forward in a meaningful way with resources," said Mayor Caroline Torosis.

"I'm just greatly excited," said Councilmember Jesse Zwick, "that the process that was initially undertaken in 2020 and has involved many apologies and plaques now has some real resources."

"Let's put our money where our mouth is," said Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya.

The Council vote included a motion to reserve the up to $2 million the City will receive from RAND to develop programs and leverage the money to boost the fund.

"We can't go back and undo the past, and there is no dollar amount or reparation that'll even fill the gap" resulting from the loss of "generational wealth," said Councilmember Lana Negrete.

The City, however, can create programs that help address "a gap in education and tools to survive in the world and be successful," said Negrete, who has been meeting with major corporations to seek funding.

The City joined a growing nationwide movement in the wake of widespread unrest and protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020.

In September 2020, City officials announced the Council had taken "bold steps" to support the creation of the Santa Monica Black Lives Association and approved Equity and Inclusion Officers for every City department.

It also advanced broad steps toward police reform, including the creation of a Police Commission that five years later is struggling for relevance and was one of two City Commissions that failed to file a timely annual report.

Two years later, in November 2022, the City Council adopted a "Statement Apologizing to Santa Monica's African American Residents and Their Descendants."

The statement "acknowledges over a century of racial injustice and discrimination against African Americans that have resulted in systemically racist policies that continue to exclude and discriminate against African Americans."

The Council also directed the City Manager to "commit to programs, policies, and investments that can educate the public about this history of discrimination and its ongoing consequences."

More than a year later, in February 2024, racial justice advocates accused the City of failing to commit to the "programs, policies and investments" called for in the apology statement.

In November 2024, Santa Monica officials unveiled a plaque at City Hall with a text of the apology.

The "inflection point," City officials said, came after the family of a local Black entrepreneur claimed the Civic Center land for his beach club was taken by the City in the late 1950s.

The $350,000 settlement unanimously approved by the Council last November recognized the family's efforts to "address alleged wrongs" to Silas White, who tried to create the Ebony Beach Club for Blacks in the segregated city.

On Tuesday, staff's report to the Council acknowledges the long road to the unanimous vote that establishes a restorative justice fund and programs that address racial justice issues.

"Through this reflective process, it is clear that while historical documentation and public dialogue are necessary, they are not sufficient without an institutionalized mechanism for equivalently meaningful responses," staff wrote.