"It's the city that's proved irresistible for Chappell Roan and marked the finish line for fictional character Forrest Gump. Santa Monica easily sits among the pantheon of iconic Southern California communities due to its combination of weather, beach backdrop, energy and friendliness. Yet, that lore has been chipped away by sexual scandal, stagnation and, more recently, by another bubbling calamity."
"My colleagues Salvador Hernandez and Richard Winton documented last week that Santa Monica is on the brink of financial crisis, with hundreds of millions of dollars in sex abuse settlements draining the city. How Santa Monica fell into this predicament and the measures it may take, including cutbacks, to remedy this situation are the focal points of their article."
"The city still faces 180 claims of sexual abuse by a former Santa Monica police dispatcher, a scandal that has already cost $229 million in settlement payouts. Eric Uller, the former city dispatcher, preyed on children mostly in predominantly Latino neighborhoods of the city, often traveling in an unmarked police vehicle, or his personal SUV. Uller had been hired and continued to work with children despite a 1991 background check"
Santa Monica is an iconic Southern California city known for weather, beaches, energy and friendliness, but that reputation has been damaged. The city faces 180 sexual-abuse claims tied to former police dispatcher Eric Uller and has paid $229 million in settlements. Uller preyed on children, often in predominantly Latino neighborhoods, sometimes using an unmarked police vehicle or his personal SUV. A 1991 background check revealed a youthful arrest for molesting a toddler, yet Uller continued to work with children; he was arrested in 2018 and died by suicide later that year. Hundreds of millions in payouts prompted a fiscal-distress declaration and possible cutbacks and layoffs.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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