Westside : Police Substation Is Opened on Pier

A Santa Monica police substation officially opened on the city’s pier this week after 2 1/2 years of planning and construction.

Several hundred people turned out for the grand opening of the substation Sunday, and the community celebration included tours of the 1,250-square-foot building and water rescue demonstrations off the municipal pier.

“We have wanted a substation like this for a number of years, to increase the security of the pier,” said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Gary Gallinot.

The new station on the south side of the pier will make it easier for police to patrol the beach and the downtown area while providing a visible deterrent to crime, Gallinot said. It will be staffed Thursdays through Sundays by police and community volunteers. The police unit that focuses on the homeless also will be stationed in the new building, Gallinot said.

On hand for Sunday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony were Mayor Paul Rosenstein and Police Chief James T. Butts Jr.

The substation, formerly a novelty shop, is part of the city’s pier restoration project, which includes the construction of Pacific Park, a two-acre amusement park scheduled to open on the pier next spring.

The amusement park was required to fund and construct the police substation as part of its planning and approval process.

During the last 18 months, police have beefed up enforcement in the area. Since then, crime has dropped more than 50%, Gallinot said, and he predicted a further decline in crime with the opening of the substation.