Lewd Acts Increasing Problem At Santa Monica Park, Residents Say

SANTA MONICA, CA – Lewd acts at a Santa Monica park are becoming an increasing problem, and residents say they want changes to be made. Neighbors near Christine Emerson Reed Park say they've seen people exposing themselves multiple times.

Less than a month ago, park visitors with their young children told ABC 7 they saw a woman naked from the waist down, walking into a bathroom stall with a man to allegedly engage in sexual activity.

"We've really had a huge uptick in crime and as you can see walking through here, it kind of feels like a war zone," Santa Monica resident Janet McLaughlin told the news station.

This summer, a young boy and his mother were at the same park when a homeless man exposed himself to them and the people nearby. Santa Monica resident Colette O'Connell told ABC 7 that she heard a man say "Hey, you want some tennis balls?" But when she turned around to look, she saw him exposing himself.

Then, the man laid down on the sidewalk, still exposing himself, she said. The situation has gotten worse within the past year, Rubin Lopez told Fox 11. Lopez, who works nearby, said safety isn't a top concern, although he admits a homeless man recently tried breaking into his car.

"There are justifiable complaints," a transient who didn't want to share his name admitted to Fox 11. "There are justifiable complaints and some of these homeless people will tell you that."

However, he told the news station that most homeless people in the area are law-abiding, and people need to understand that not all homeless are the same.

Both the transient and residents say the increase in Santa Monica's homeless population is due to the Metro Expo Line that transports from Los Angeles.

"I like Santa Monica, love it," he told the news station. "I don't want to leave. It's easier than a lot of other communities. Plus, there's the ocean."

City officials told ABC 7 that they've addressed the issue by renovating the park, improving lighting and enhancing police presence with regular patrols, as well as creating a homeless outreach team to connect people with local services and shelters.

"Give Santa Monica credit. They've tried a lot of things, but it's pretty clear that things the city has tried, say, in the last two years, haven't worked out as well as they had hoped, so now it's time to try to other things," Recreation and Parks Commission Chair John Smith told the news station.

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