In an effort to prevent looting at local businesses, the Culver City Police Department has asked for and received National Guard assistance yesterday.

City Manager John Nachbar said that 25 National Guard service members have arrived in Culver City and will only be deployed on Thursday at the Westfield Culver City Mall to provide security.

“During each of the past several evenings, there have been up to 100 cars at a time circling the Culver City Mall with persons attempting to gain access to vandalize and loot,” Nachbar said in his letter to the community. “Using significant resources, CCPD and local law enforcement partners have been successful in fighting off these criminal attempts, including using methods such as using buses to block mall parking lot entrances.”

Nachbar stated that CCPD requested National Guard assistance to allow officers to focus on prevention in other parts of the city. “How long they remain deployed there depends on the security situation at the mall.” he said.” For now, they are only committed to stay through early tomorrow morning. After that, their presence there will depend on the day-to-day evaluation of the security situation.”

Nachbar also mentioned that other criminals have burglarized or attempted to burglarize other retail stores around Culver City. “In at least six different incidents, CCPD has had to chase suspects in vehicles through the City,” he said. “10 retail locations have been burglarized, resulting in significant damage and loss of property, at a time when our businesses can least tolerate such losses. Specific threats have been made to stores in Culver City, including not only the mall but our two Target stores.”

The city manager also expressed his gratitude to the community for its cooperation with the city’s curfew orders. “I am pleased to tell you that the curfew has been effective in helping prevent the extensive looting we have seen in other parts of the region,” he said. “CCPD has made no arrests or citations for curfew violations, which I believe is evidence that the curfew order is not being used to infringe on people’s rights to protest or to target disadvantaged populations or people of color.”