Column: Santa Monica Police Officers Association Endorse Mike Newhouse for CD11
Those dealing first-hand with Los Angeles’s homeless policies know who can clean up the mess!
By Nick Antonicello
The Santa Monica Police Officers Association (SMPOA) strongly endorsed Mike Newhouse for Council district 11. Given the porous nature of CD11 boundaries, the public safety and homeless policies naturally spill over into our neighboring communities. LA needs to return to the status of being a good neighbor, while really addressing the mental health and substance abuse crisis taking place across our area.
“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of Santa Monica Police Officers,” Mike Newhouse stated. Newhouse continued, “We’ve sometimes asked law enforcement to perform almost as social workers or mental health professionals, which is not what anyone envisioned. Let’s get folks who are struggling to get the help they need as soon as possible, while restoring our communities and freeing up law enforcement to do what they do best … keep us safe! When I’m elected I will launch a 30 day program to get folks off the streets and into services so we can fully enforce our existing, and widely supported, no camping ordinance.”
Sgt. Gerardo Leyva, Chairman of Santa Monica Police Officers Association stated, “The Santa Monica Police Officers Association is proud to endorse Mike Newhouse for the Los Angeles City Council District 11 Seat. Mike’s common sense approach to community safety, decades of community service, commitment to support police and lower crime make him well equipped to address the issues which face us all. Public Safety and community livability know no boundaries.”
Over the past two decades, Newhouse has tirelessly served the Westside as a member and former two-term President of the Venice Neighborhood Council. In 2009, Newhouse co-founded the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC), a coalition of all 13 (now 14) Los Angeles neighborhood and community councils on the Westside of Los Angeles.
President of the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, Newhouse has led the committee for five years (as repeatedly elected by his fellow commissioners) through efficient hearings and meetings. Newhouse serves as a board member and volunteer for countless community organizations, including the Venice Chamber of Commerce, Venice Arts, and the Venice Art Crawl, and has coached his son’s baseball and football teams for the past 10 years. Newhouse lives in Venice with his wife of 25-years, Ruthie, their sons Holden and Dylan, and the beloved family dog Marley. He is a passionate musician, traveler, and outdoor enthusiast.
The author is a longtime Venetian and member of the Oceanfront Walk and Outreach Committees of the Venice Neighborhood Council who is covering the 2022 race for council in LA’s CD-11. He can be reached at (310) 621-3775 or via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
