Is the Pismo Beach PD Setting the Standard or do Their Actions Prove Otherwise?
Police Department:
Officers Involved:
- Sgt. Timothy Gillis. #105
- Patrolman Kent. #100
- Detective Spears #99
I was in Pismo Beach, CA for a short time on Wednesday and while driving down the main drag, I noticed some teenagers being detained by multiple police officers. The experience was a melting pot of copsuckers and contradictory cops. The officers were not happy with my presence and attempted to obstruct my camera with their bodies. Eventually I got to a spot that was acceptable, but a group of teenage copsuckers or “teenage police state zombies”, as my friend Joe referred to them, attempted to obstruct my camera for the police.
I lost a little bit of my cool here and after informing them it was totally legal to record anyone in public I ended by inviting them to learn the law instead of acting like assholes. Ironically, a magical copsucker appeared and got in my face. He called me an asshole a bunch of times and tried to intimidate me. He was the toughest guy on the block, but the most intimidating part of it all was his breath and the dip that came flying out of his mouth with every word. Of course, the police offered no help as they have no incentive to protect anyone and why would they help the guy who doesn’t like them anyway? I often see police officers and their supporters talking about their willingness to protect anyone, but they never seem to back up those promises when the time comes.
The kids, who I presume got busted shoplifting from the surf shop, were returned to their parents and it didn’t appear that charges had been pressed. It was at this time that the detective, who was previously attempting to block my camera, tried to get friendly with me. I told him I had no interest in conversing with him and the only info I needed was his name and badge number. Police officers like to remain anonymous for reasons unbeknownst to me. If you are a public servant and you are proud of what you do, wouldn’t you want people to recognize you for doing it? However, he felt that regardless of his position it was not appropriate for him to identify himself to the people he claims to serve.
I personally believe the more acceptable it becomes for law enforcement to operate as a secret police with no obligation for transparency with the general public the closer we become to a full on police state and the thin blue line that separates us from them, grows thicker.
After the investigation was over, the Sgt. on scene approached me with his car voluntarily. I took the time to play him against the detective who refused me his ID. Originally, I expected him to support his cop buddy, but the detective was sheepishly made to ID himself.
Detective Spears took this time to thank me for my service as a CopBlocker and commended me on my great service to this country. I’m also convinced he referred to this geographic location as a police state, but he could have easily said “police scene”. His enunciation was slurred making it hard to understand. As he droned on about the standard upheld by the Pismo Beach Police Department, I was reminded of another interaction where I filmed the Pismo PD, on the Fourth of July, harassing some homeless people for sitting on a public bench. If harassment and a lack of accountability are the standard for great police work, the Pismo Beach Police Department are leading the way.
