SANTA PAULA

Santa Paula police loan SWAT personnel, equipment to Beverly Hills PD ahead of election

Joe Curley
Ventura County Star

The Santa Paula Police Department is providing help in the form of personnel and equipment to Beverly Hills ahead of potential “civil unrest” associated with Election Day. 

Santa Paula is loaning 10 members of its Special Weapons And Tactics team, two sergeants and an armored tactical vehicle “to assist them with the possibility of civil unrest down in their city,” said Santa Paula interim police Chief Ish Cordero. 

“They reached out to us,” Cordero said. “They wanted members of our SWAT team and our rescue vehicle."

The interim chief said they came up with an agreement to provide the services. The Santa Paula team arrived on Saturday morning and will be deployed in Los Angeles through Nov. 7, according to Cordero.

Santa Paula also provided Beverly Hills with two days of similar support in June, when the protests against the killing of George Floyd devolved into civil unrest. 

More:What you should know about Election Day in Ventura County

Rodeo Drive closed

“This is a partnership,” Cordero said. "All costs incurred will be paid by the city of Beverly Hills. There’s no profit out of this for Santa Paula."

Authorities have closed Rodeo Drive to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for 48 hours through Wednesday.

Others are reading:Santa Paula police interrupt commercial burglary on Main Street, arrest teens

Lt. Max Subin, a spokesman for the Beverly Hills Police Department, said that the city's police force is being supplemented by the Santa Paula team, as well as 80 armed security guards.

“The city wanted to be as prepared as possible,” said Subin. “They’ve been a huge resource to us.”

Cordero added that he is confident in his department’s own plans for Election Day in Santa Paula, but the team could be recalled, if necessary.

“I felt that we can assist them without exhausting all my resources at my department,” Cordero said. “If anything happens and we need to bring our officers back, we will bring them back from Beverly Hills.”

Joe Curley covers breaking news for the Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @vcsjoecurley.