Multiple Agencies Partner to Launch Unified Access Pass

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Multiple agencies have partnered together so Palisades fire-impacted residents, businesses, and contractors and employees can acquire a unified access pass, which began March 3.

“Law enforcement is now using one unified pass,” according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Dominic Choi during a town hall hosted by Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, March 4. The effort was a collaboration between Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, LAPD, City of Los Angeles and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office, according to the City of Malibu.

Previously obtained passes (including red for residents with no expiration date and blue for contractors with valid dates) will still provide access to the area.

“As long as they’re valid passes—they’re not duplicates—they will be honored at the checkpoints,” Choi said. “There’s no need to go back and get the new unified pass.”

Each person going in and out of the area needs to obtain a pass that matches their identification, which will be checked at access points, Choi said.

Those operating the check points have seen an increase in fake/duplicate passes, Choi continued, citing that last Saturday, March 1, by 10 a.m., more than two dozen counterfeit or duplicate passes were encountered, which has been causing “significant backup” in lines to enter the area.

“I know it’s a little bit of inconvenience, but please make sure that the appropriate people are getting the valid passes from these pass distribution centers,” Choi said.

Access passes can now be picked up Monday to Saturday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Disaster Recovery Center at UCLA Research Park West (10850 West Pico Boulevard); Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Santa Monica College – Malibu Campus Admin Building Interpretive Center (23555 Civic Center Way); and Saturdays at Malibu City Hall (23825 Stuart Ranch Road) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

While conducting crime suppression efforts, California Highway Patrol was alerted to a home that had several cars parked outside on Saturday evening, February 22, Choi explained during the town hall. A resident of the Palisades was having a dinner party with 25-plus guests, Choi continued.

Those in attendance had “fake contractor passes” that were confiscated, Choi explained. The party was dispersed, he said, and everyone left peacefully.

During the Q&A portion of the town hall, a question was posed about the presence of National Guard in the area, to which Vahid Khorsand with the Board of Public Works responded: “There is no timeline for the National Guard to leave the Palisades at this time.”