Santa Monica police made four arrests and referred six people to shelters during a single-day enforcement sweep of the city's waterfront on Sept. 15.

The Community Livability Operation covered Ocean Front Walk, the beaches and Palisades Park, producing 72 contacts, four arrests, six citations and six shelter referrals, the Santa Monica Police Department said in an Instagram post on Sept. 19. SMPD did not identify those arrested or describe the alleged offenses.

Officers also made 10 service-provider linkages and provided two instances of Project Homecoming assistance. That program can include bus or airline tickets to reunite people experiencing homelessness with family or support networks elsewhere. The city said in 2025 that Project Homecoming had reconnected more than 3,200 people since 2006.

The shelter referrals went to SaMo Bridge and Samoshel. SaMo Bridge is a collaboration among the City Attorney's Office, the Police Department, Housing and Human Services and Exodus Recovery. It connects police referrals with housing, treatment and other services.

During its first year, SaMo Bridge received 462 police referrals, and 233 of the 363 people who started 90-day care plans were directly connected to services, according to Westside Current. SMPD did not say whether the six referrals from the Sept. 15 operation resulted in placements.

The operation is the latest in a series of livability sweeps along the waterfront. A similar operation during the week of June 7 drew about 60 participants from SMPD and partner agencies. That sweep covered downtown, the Metro platform, the Pier, Tongva Park, Palisades Park and Ocean Front Walk, producing seven arrests, 15 citations and 40 contacts, according to SMPD's Blue Notebook recap. Workers also removed 10,980 pounds of trash.

The stepped-up waterfront presence follows two shootings near the Pier and in Palisades Park over the weekend of Aug. 22-23. Police Chief Darrick Jacob said at the time that the department was deploying enhanced patrols to the Pier, beach, Palisades Park and downtown.

"Our officers are on the Pier, in our parks, along the beach, throughout downtown, and in our residential neighborhoods, day and night," Jacob said in an Aug. 25 statement reported by Patch. "That presence builds trust, supports safety, and allows us to respond when our community needs us."

SMPD's 2025 annual crime report showed Part I crime, which covers violent offenses and burglary, fell 12.5% from 2024 to 2025. Total arrests rose 22.9% to 3,446. Arrests involving people experiencing homelessness climbed 52% to 2,465.

SMPD described the Sept. 15 operation as an ongoing effort combining enforcement and outreach. No date has been announced for the next Community Livability Operation. Residents can reach SMPD's non-emergency line at (310) 458-8491.