Who to Call About Homelessness and Street Issues in Santa Monica
Updated October 28, 2026. Every phone number was checked against an official page.
Santa Monica has six different numbers for street situations, and the right one depends on what is happening. Here they are in one place, with what each one actually does. Tap a number to call.
| What is happening | Call |
|---|---|
| Someone is in danger, a crime is in progress, or a medical emergency | 911 |
| A mental health, suicide or substance use crisis | 988 (call or text) |
| Not an emergency, but police should come (blocked doorway, drug use, harassment) | SMPD non-emergency (310) 458-8491 |
| An encampment, abandoned property, or a request for homeless outreach in Santa Monica | Santa Monica 311: dial 3-1-1 in the city, (866) 311-7266 outside, or the "City of Santa Monica" app |
| A mental health crisis where you want clinicians, not police | LA County DMH 24/7 Help Line (800) 854-7771 |
| Someone wants help and outreach should find them (County-wide) | LA-HOP outreach request |
Who do I call? By situation
| The situation | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Someone is in crisis | Danger: 911. Mental health or substance use crisis: 988 |
| A camp or encampment | Santa Monica 311: 3-1-1 or the City of Santa Monica app |
| A family or person living in a car | Families with children: 211. Outreach: LA-HOP |
| Someone wants to go home to family | Project Homecoming (310) 458-8953 |
| A family member too sick to accept help | The family guide, and the DMH Help Line (800) 854-7771 |
| Someone breaking park rules | SMPD non-emergency (310) 458-8491. See the park rules |
How do I report a homeless encampment in Santa Monica?
Use Santa Monica 311. The City says to use 311 for "Santa Monica-specific requests like abandoned property or active encampments." You can file a request four ways:
- The City of Santa Monica app (iPhone and Android): submit a request with a photo and location, and get status updates.
- The web portal at 311.santamonica.gov, open 24/7.
- Email 311@santamonica.gov.
- Phone: dial 3-1-1 inside city limits or (866) 311-7266 from outside. Phone hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Give the exact location (cross streets or an address), how many tents or people, and whether anyone seems sick or in danger. If someone is in danger, call 911 instead.
Santa Monica's camping law, Municipal Code section 4.08.095, bans camping in parks, on beaches, the Pier, streets, alleys and other public property. Related sections cover sitting or lying in some doorways at night (4.08.097) and blocking the public right-of-way (3.12.360).
When should I call 911 and when should I call 988?
Call 911 when someone is in immediate danger: a weapon, violence, a medical emergency, someone about to hurt themselves or others, or a crime in progress.
Call or text 988 for a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis when nobody is in immediate physical danger. In Los Angeles County, 988 is answered by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. You can also text "LA" to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
When in doubt about safety, call 911.
What is the Santa Monica police non-emergency number?
The Santa Monica Police and Fire non-emergency dispatch line is (310) 458-8491. Use it when police should respond but nobody is in immediate danger: someone sleeping in a business doorway who will not move, open drug use, a person harassing customers, or a camp blocking a sidewalk.
How do I request homeless outreach through LA-HOP, and what can it not do?
LA-HOP is the Los Angeles County homeless outreach portal, run by LAHSA. You describe the person and the location, and an outreach team is sent. It can take a few days.
LA-HOP is not for emergencies (call 911), crimes (call police) or encampment reports (in Santa Monica, use 311). Families with minor children who need shelter should call 211.
Who responds to a mental health crisis without police?
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health runs a 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771. It dispatches Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams (PMRT): clinicians who respond to psychiatric emergencies and can evaluate whether someone meets the legal standard for an involuntary hold. The same line connects to substance use treatment and detox beds.
Families looking for guidance can also call NAMI Westside Los Angeles family navigation: 424-293-0645 in English, 424-293-0646 in Spanish.
Someone is sleeping in my doorway or blocking my business. What can I do?
Ask politely first if you feel safe. If the person will not move, call SMPD non-emergency at (310) 458-8491. If the person seems very sick, confused or unable to care for themselves, say so: that helps dispatch decide whether to send a clinician. If anyone is in danger, call 911.
For a recurring spot, also file a 311 request so the location is on record, and ask your neighborhood business association whether it has a private patrol or ambassador program.
How do I help someone who wants to go home to family?
Santa Monica's Project Homecoming, run with the Police Department, has reunited more than 3,200 people with family since 2006. Call (310) 458-8953. See Bring them home for how it works.
What happens after I call?
A 311 request gets a tracking number and goes to the City department that handles it. Outreach requests go to the City's outreach teams. An SMPD call is triaged by dispatch, and response time depends on what else is happening. A 988 call connects you to a trained counselor, who can send a mobile team if needed.
Too often a call ends with the person left where they were, because there is no 24/7 place to take someone in crisis who does not need an emergency room. That gap is why our plan asks for a 24/7 Westside crisis drop-off.
Is this the City of Santa Monica?
No. Empower Santa Monica is a volunteer resident movement. This page routes you to the official services. We do not take reports ourselves. Every number above was checked on the official City or County page listed under Sources.
Sources
- City of Santa Monica: Connect with homelessness services
- City of Santa Monica: Santa Monica 311
- City of Santa Monica: Questions and answers on the anti-camping ordinance
- LAHSA: LA-HOP outreach request
- LA County DMH: Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams
- LA County: launch of 988 in Los Angeles County
- LA County Homeless Initiative: CARE Court in LA County (Crisis Text Line)