The Stanford Center for Racial Justice has released its first major video project—“Why Can’t Police Reform Succeed in Santa Monica?”—as part of On the Ground, a storytelling series aimed at highlighting community reform efforts.
SCRJ’s On the Ground case study focuses on civilian oversight efforts in Santa Monica, California following police violence aimed at peaceful protesters on May 31, 2020. The video, a partnership with Amy Hu of Stanford Video, contextualizes the national mood in 2020 following George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer—and how mass protests led to calls for police reform in cities, big and small.
In Santa Monica, unresolved police issues and community concerns stemming from the May 31st protests led to the creation of Santa Monica’s Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission. But after starting with great hope and promise, civilian oversight recommendations were met with immediate, intentional resistance. These efforts are also detailed in a series of essays by SCRJ Executive Director George Brown, who was the first Chair of the Santa Monica commission.
The Santa Monica video intends to widen the lens on the struggle for police reform nationwide while asking key questions of what has failed following one of the largest protest movements in American history. Even with well-meaning community members pushing for trust and accountability, why has reform been so difficult? And in Santa Monica specifically, if leaders cannot implement civilian oversight, then is it incorrect to label it a progressive city committed to racial justice?
Watch the video here. To read more about On the Ground: Santa Monica, including a timeline, chronology, essays, and Q&As with community members, visit our main project page.