Santa Maria implements curfew after vandals tear down flags, loot businesses

Police Chief Phil Hansen declared “tolerance stops when destruction starts” minutes after Santa Maria’s mayor on Monday implemented a curfew in response to troublemakers ripping down flags and looting some businesses in the closed mall the night before.

Mayor Alice Patino, the four councilmembers and Hansen were joined by Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt, leader of the NAACP’s local chapter, Monday afternoon at the City Hall courtyard.

The mayor ordered implementation of a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. effective immediately with the order to expire at 5 a.m. June 8, a tool to address the threat of civil unrest and lack of social distancing related to COVID-19.

On Sunday, a peaceful protest and march related to the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police were followed by chaos in the streets, the mayor said, noting the “cowards that tore down our flag.”

The mayor called for people to remember the primary message of those who gathered earlier Sunday.

“What happened to George Floyd is not okay,” Patino said. “It’s not okay with any of us. We need justice for the black lives that have been lost. We must acknowledge the pain and commit to being allies and reach out to help the community move froward in a way that uplifts those who need it most.”

Hansen said police officers serve to protect people’s rights — including free speech and to assemble.

“We were very tolerant yesterday because we wanted to tolerate people’s rights and we wanted to empower them,” Hansen said. “But tolerance stops when destruction starts and tolerance has its limits is what I’m saying here.”

The police chief said the tone of the action changed during the day Sunday with social media posts causing the crowd to swell and required the arrival of additional officers. Along with Santa Maria police, sheriff’s deputies from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties helped break up vandalism and looting.

“At a certain point I just call it lawlessness,” Hansen said. “Nobody’s protesting by doing doughnuts out in the street and breaking windows. That’s not a protest. That’s just a mob.”

On Sunday, a peaceful protest and march led to a different gathering of people driving recklessly, igniting fireworks and then storming the Santa Maria Town Center, vandalizing windows and looting some stores. On Monday morning, broken doors and windows remained, with wood covering one mall entrance that looters had illegally broken through.

A stabbing victim was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, but police were sorting out the circumstances that led to the injury.

Flags in front of City Hall and the Santa Maria Court Complex were torn down, with at least one burned in the middle of the street.

“What happened here last night in the late night is not representative of this community. It was not brought here by this community. That’s now how this community functions or lives together,” Hansen said.

He added that the Minneapolis police interaction with Floyd doesn’t represent how the Santa Maria police operate.

“We’re here to take care of this community and preserve people’s rights,” Hansen added.

Officers also had a number of detentions, but details were still being sorted out Monday.

As word of the actions spread on social media, members of the Band of Brothers veterans organization headed to the site to raise a new flag at City Hall.

Other local residents pledged to show up Monday morning — and did. They pressure washed graffiti, swept broken glass at the mall and cleaned up other debris left behind.

The local curfew exempts individuals traveling to and from their place of employment, individuals seeking emergency medical care, and representatives of the news media, along with law enforcement personnel, firefighting personnel, emergency health care providers, emergency medical personnel, and civilians engaged in police or emergency work.

Later this week, the Santa Maria-Lompoc NAACP plans to hold a social justice solidarity march and rally at 5 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, something Lyons-Pruitt said she contemplated canceling after the unrest.

“Those people are not welcome. They weren’t welcome yesterday and they’re not welcome today,” she said.

Just days ago, and before Floyd’s killing, NAACP members added a small memorial at the City Hall courtyard for two black Americans, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, unjustly killed. Their pictures and a small candle were placed nearby to remember other victims of social injustice.

“We are our best when all people are treated equitably, with dignity and respect. This is a moment for our community and our country to stand united against racism,” Patino said, adding she remained optimistic Santa Maria could show the state what meaningful dialogue and constructive action really looks like.