With COVID restrictions all but eliminated, Santa Barbara police are anticipating a much more active State Street; to that end, up to two officers have been reassigned to the downtown patrol.
According to police spokesperson Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, the additional officers will be deployed on foot, bicycle, or motorcycle, depending on the circumstances. The motorcycles, he noted, are equipped with the emergency flashing lights and sirens required during a heavy situation but are nimble enough to navigate the bollards and barriers of State Street’s promenade.
Ragsdale said the plan had been in the works for some time. It coincides with a rise in complaints by downtown landlords — and others in the business community — about increased friction between people living on the streets and downtown visitors.