Our latest Santa Monica Pulse poll asked residents about a proposed program which uses AI cameras to detect and distribute parking tickets, political consultants who would propose tax hike ballot measures, and the potential elimination of “pre-textual stops” by law enforcement.

A pilot program tested in Santa Monica with their Big Blue Bus Line used AI cameras to automatically detect and distribute parking tickets to vehicles improperly stopped or parked in dedicated bus lanes. During the 45-day pilot program period, more than 500 violations were identified, with fines nearing $300 each. We asked residents if they support or opposed the use of AI cameras for parking tickets, and found an overwhelming 80% were opposed.

We also asked residents about a recent proposal from the Santa Monica City Council to hire political consultants to develop new tax hike ballot measures for the next election. In the November 2022 election, voters approved three new tax hikes on real estate transactions, hotel and lodging, and cannabis businesses. 82.5% of respondents oppose additional tax hikes for the city of Santa Monica, while 8.3% support new tax hikes, and 9% were unsure.

Finally, the Santa Monica Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission will soon discuss the potential elimination of “pre-textual stops” for law enforcement, which currently allow police to stop someone for minor traffic violations to investigate for potentially more serious crimes. Some have said pre-textual stops have allowed law enforcement officers to proactively prevent violent crimes in the city. The majority of our respondents seem to agree, with 58% percent supporting pre-textual stops, 32% opposing pre-textual stops, and 9% remaining unsure.