By OB Joe
By the looks of what happened at the foot of Newport Avenue on Saturday afternoon with the nude swimmer, you’d think that police-community relations in OB had returned to the 1970’s.
Reports of up to twenty police cars roaring into OB, speeding down residential streets – to deal with one nude guy and the commotion that resulted when police and lifeguards tried to cite him – has made my blood boil.
It’s apparent that the San Diego Police Department has not learned a single thing in all the decades of its “troubles” with the citizens and youth of Ocean Beach.
The police used their old tactic of deploying an overwhelming show of force in order to intimidate the crowd that gathered to watch and comment on what was happening. This is crazy. It was way over the top and wrong. The comments on an earlier post about this incident complained about some almost being hit or run over by the speeding police cars. What was the emergency???
And costly. What happened to the budget cuts? Don’t talk to me now about how the SDPD has to cut back in these budget-slashing days. This was way too costly, and as a taxpayer, I’m simply outraged! Twenty cop cars!! How much did this incident cost the City? How much over-time was used?
We learned today that the budget cuts have cost San Diego police their horses and now their cell phones. (Is this why no officer called in to say they didn’t need so many cars?)
Who made the decision to send in so many cops? It must have been a management decision, of course. Why? Where was community relations?? Where was OB’s Community Relations Officer?
Costly, dangerous and wrong.
The police still have this mentality that an overwhelming show of force is the way to deal with the natives at the beach. This is unconscionable. This is not how to deal with OB, this is not how to deal with such an incident, and this is not how to deal with a police department that is suffering such budget restraints.
Unfortunately, OB does not have any town groups that can complain about this now. There is no OB Grassroots Organization any longer – the group that protested when police shot and killed Danny the h9meless guy a few years ago. There is no OB Town Council Police – Community Committee to monitor police abuse (in fact you have to notify the Town Council 3 weeks in advance just to speak at their meetings!!!) Plus, these type of issues are out of the jurisdiction of both the Planning Board and the Mainstreet Association.
OB needs some kind and type of forum or group that can take complaints such as these to the authorities! But we don’t have anybody. And the police will continue to use overwhelming and costly shows of force in order to intimidate anybody that crowds around or gathers or who questions what they are doing. Poor OB.
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, OBJoe, why don’t you take the passionate anger you’re feeling right now and form the commit tee you’ve mentioned? All it has ever taken to change the way things are is one person’s commitment to take a stand and do something. If you feel so passionately about the demise of OB from this, then do something about it.
Sunshine – jeez!! I did that in the 1970s – it’s time for younger people to step up to the plate of OB civic responsibility. Then I did it again in the beginning of this century. If the people who populate the residences, homes and apartments of today’s OB are okay with a semi-police state – then goddam it – so be it! If you, or your friends are not willing to take the risks of speaking out, why should I – a sixty-something guy that needs a crutch to walk – why should I have to do it again?
This trend of police over-reaction has been a constant theme in police – community relations in OB for decades. This blog, I believe, has written about some of that history (and I’ll leave it up to the editors to make the links). Over-react, over-react, over-react – and once in a while, it costs a person’s life.
From over-reaction that caused the shooting of that homeless guy (actually 3 homeless men were shot to death by cops in and around OB over a 4 year period at the beginning of this century), to the over-reaction of the cops to last Spring’s Heathen Parade – a silly parade at midnight that has been going on for 7 years; to the more simple over-reaction of cops to 60-something friends having a birthday party in their back yard on a Saturday night being ordered into their home at 9pm for singing happy birthday; to the overreaction of the cops to the fire performers, to the daily over-reaction that we hear from the streets of OB on a continuing basis ….
when and where does it stop, Sunshine? Maybe it’s time for your generation to stand up for OB. I’m feisty, and I’ll be supportive, but I’ll be damned if I have to take the lead.
Stand up for OB’s sake.
OB Joe-If not me who? If not now, when? If not here, where?
When a call for ” officer needs assistance ” goes out Officers react. Are they perfect no…Would ob joe want a quick,strong reaction if his family was in danger ?? I think so, nuf said.
I don’t think you can compare a hypothetical “what if your family were in danger” to the “danger” of a naked guy in the surf. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable expectation that the police response would have some relationship to the specific unlawful act. “Quick and strong” are relative terms. For one thing, all unlawful acts aren’t dangerous, although I don’t fault PD for not making any assumptions on that one. But c’mon- we can pretty much agree this guy wasn’t concealing a semi between his butt cheeks…
When more than two cop cars show up, with a now violent naked guy, the situation changes. People gather around and they become yet another factor. How many cop cars ultimately showed up???? Once people in the area started to feel that the police presence was excessive, a whole bunch of other factors were put into play.
When citizens perceive that there is an excessive police presence, out of proportion to an unlawful act, they will respond. So that means the police have undermined their ability to be a part of the solution. Who wins on that one?
Daniel Woodyard-R.I.P, Feb. 4, 2003
The ” what if” is What Police deal with everyday. If they dont react they get blamed for inaction…If they send 15 cars they get blamed…..They plan for the worst and hope it does not happen. The guy was fighting with life guards and police…. ” what if” he get free and grabs a baby and holds it hostage…..then people say where were the police…..If anyone can predict how these things will turn out please step forward.
I predict these situations will all turn out with locals complaining about police and/or street kids on a local message board. Half of the population will be supportive of the police action, half the population will think the police went too far, and the other half will be too stoned to remember the password to their computer.
I just ate a bowl of Cap’n Crunch….. :D
3 halfs Jon? What’s that like 150%? No wonder I suck at math!
Respect is a two-way street. I’d say that today’s cop on the beat has a lot more to deal with, including (but not limited to) major budget cuts to the department, and even the gutting of the Equine and Canine units. I’m not surprised that the SDPD had the lifeguard’s back, those two public entities often work in tandem.
Also, one thing I didn’t notice in those pictures that Jim G. and Nate H. took was any riot gear, even though I heard that someone threw a bottle at one of the cops. I thought the SDPD showed major restraint, unlike the Ray Hoobler era cops.
Hey, they’re just doing their jobs, while their resources are being taken away. Looks to me like a lot of us are in that same boat!
With the elimination of the police horses, I wonder if we’ll see more cops on Segways?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjldrPLX7Pg
ehh, maybe not!
only at target. ;)
No, justmy2cents, I can’t predict. But I DO know that situations take on a whole different life of their own when lots and lots and lots of police cars arrive on a scene.
You do bring out an important issue- in hind sight people will ask/demand why this or that wasn’t done, as if every situation can be anticipated. We pick fall guys. We bring suit against…
I’m just saying that nothing is going to protect anyone against those allegations. So why not do the right thing? Why not use your best judgment?
justmy2cents – Just who, pray tell, is blaming the cops for inaction? You answer your own hypothetical with another hypothetical. “What if he gets free and grabs a baby”??? Oh, c’mon, you’re being ridiculous.
Why couldn’t the lifeguards have given this guy a blanket and a citation and allowed him to go on his way. Why did he have to be arrested (and tasered?) for a small crime like this?
If you’re unwilling to say ‘this was too much, officers’ then, okay, get outta the way, and someone will step forward.
I think all the patrol cars say “To Protect and Serve.” A guy is naked in the surf. How am I being protected and served when he is tasered and hauled off?????
Because he was fighting with a lifeguard and wouldn’t stop because he couldn’t be stopped. They were protecting the rest of us and themselves.
How was I protected??????? Jeez, it’s not as if I haven’t seen a nekked man before….
“protecting the rest of us…” ?? Please, my good man, isn’t that what any good authoritarian would say? ‘Why, we did it because we’re protecting you and we’re just following orders.’
Isn’t that what the British Redcoats said, as they marched off to confiscate the weaponry and ammunition at Lexington? “We must take this arsenal to protect the colonists from themselves!” (Must use a proper English accent.)
O.B. isn’t Disneyland. Below is some of the reported crime in our community last week from sandiego.gov/police/ewatch. Be careful what you wish for in regards to less police presence.
RES_BURGLARY 01/24/2010-01/25/2010 2000-0830 5100 BRIGHTON AV (SD)
ROBBERY 01/26/2010 2140-2143 3700 VOLTAIRE ST (SD)
AUTO_THEFT 01/26/2010 0001 2100 EBERS ST (SD)
ASSAULT 01/26/2010 0003-0005 5000 NEWPORT AV (SD)
ASSAULT 01/20/2010 1515 5000 NARRAGANSETT AV (SD)
AUTO_THEFT 01/22/2010 0810 5100 WEST POINT LOMA BL (SD)
ASSAULT 01/24/2010 0330-0730 4900 NARRAGANSETT AV (SD)
ASSAULT 01/24/2010 1000 3700 TENNYSON ST (SD)
RES_BURGLARY 01/29/2010 0945-1845 1500 FROUDE ST (SD)
SEXUAL_ASSAULT 01/29/2010 1430 5000 DEL MONTE AV (SD)
this could be the crime blotter for any community in the county, and for a lot of places this would be the list for one night, not the last week.
and now that i think about it, there’s probably more crime than that at disneyland.
CJ – read the news. Crime stats across the city are going down. This is nothing for an eight day period.
Did any of those require 12 + police cars?????? We’re talking excessive here, CJ.
CJ has a point – to a point. If the police actually have anything to do with reported crimes, then CJ’s point is valid. Check the clearance rates for those reported crimes. The average person is most likely to experience ID theft – of which police have almost nothing to do with. Next it’s residential burglaries and then auto theft. Even in the era of LoJack and CSI the clearance rate is only about 15% – meaning arrests are made in about 15% of those reported crimes. Why so little? Because the limited allocation of police resources. Holding police management responsible for effective use of resources is not wishing for less police; the average cop is constantly trained, paid twice the per capita average with only a high school diploma to get into the academy has full benefits and gets 3% of their salary for every year of service when they reach 50 years old – safety retirement. They’re paid as professionals, equipped as professionals and we need to expect them to act as professionals.
Contrieved riots? Deja vu, April 20, 1975, nice spring Sunday, a live band party at Billy Bee’s @Abbott & Santa Monica, a fight between a couple of drunk bikers, a single cop arrives, puts one injured and bleeding biker in his car – as I sit on my bicycle not 20 feet away, the cop and other biker wrestle to the ground, the biker tries for the cop’s gun, gun comes out, biker runs off, cop levels weapon at fleeing biker but thinks better of it and puts it away, jumps in his car and drives the injured biker away. We in the crowd sided with the cop – the biker was an ass – we thought the cop acted smart. We also expected other cops to arrive within minutes. Two dozen of us decided to wait for the other cops. In the meantime the band leaves, the party breaks up and people drift away. I go home to Brighton St. come back. Now almost 90 minutes later as I’m visiting with friends who lived at Cape May and Abbott, as small groups of people sit on front porchs and enjoy the late afternoon, a TV news car pulls up, a reporter jumps out – “There’s a riot going on!” Moments later an orderly procession of motorcycle cops and patrol cars – forty cops in all – assemble on and, to our utter amazement, begin to march south on Abbott st.. Pity the poor Jesus followers in full length pants and dresses – they were the largest remaining gathering in the area. Befuddled, they drift into the street as the cops march toward them only to part like the Red Sea when the police get near. The police keep marching south toward Newport, the street in front of them empty. It looked silly, people laughed. The cops broke ranks beat up a few random souls, arrested seven people including a woman walking back from the market with a bag of groceries. Why? Some might see it as an excessive show of force to intimidate. I see it as a sign of fear. It shows a lack of confidence and a lack of skill. Taxpayers spend about $100,000 to train one officer – it should not take a dozen or more professional police officers to subdue a single naked male not matter how intoxicated. He’s clearly not armed, especially after swimming in 57 degree water. In the years since my experience in 1975 I’ve learned that police officers need to justify their shift and their overtime. There must be a reportable reason for earning overtime. The department pulled in patrols from other beats to respond to a single naked intoxicated man. Might check to see how much overtime the responding officers received.
Jon – thanx for the history. That incident that you recount was actually the front page article on the original OB Rag that week. (We have it for sale.) It can be seen in the front page scans of those old issues. Don’t know the volume or number offhand, but it’s there.
Colbert Report says it all.
awesome link annagrace but shouldn’t it be in this thread instead?
http://obrag.org/?p=17320
You are so right Dave… wrong thread. Aaaargh.
I guess either you get this or you don’t . Well maybe we should just all do some drugs get naked and go for a swim and let the chips fall where they may. I guess getting high is the answer. and fighting with police. To those who don’t get it and feel it was a over reaction I hope your never in the situation where you need police back up and cant get it ! I also feel if you REALLY think you have a point go to the City Council meetings and voice your concerns , every Tuesday offer non agenda public comment. Go offer suggestions on amending police actions. If you don’t want to do that how strong do you really feel ?? Or do you hide behind a keyboard and just type soultions?
To those who get the fact Police have a tough job and do try thanks for accepting that.
Excuse me- you’re painting an extreme either or situation that doesn’t permit good judgment and big brains. How am I supposed to talk to you?????
Hey, I was young, good looking and indestructable once. I’ve even fallen prey to a full Leo moon every now & then and the, hey everybody look at me that goes with it, but how about this simple thought? You’re doing youself a big favor by not fighting with cops, lifegaurds, firefighters and so on.
I’m just sayin’….
anna: Well the ” either or” is the San Diego Police Department called for help. I would suggest you educate yourself on these calls: the reasons, protocol and sucess ratio when it (help) is asked for. If you know any First Responders ask them about the request for help call and how it is handled across the board… If you don’t know any , get to know some it might help you to make a balanced judgment or at least give you insight. The SDPD handled this call for help like ALL other Departments across this country. If you have great ideas on how these calls can be improved I am sure they will consider your opinions. Maybe the 1000’s of Police Departments will amend protocol.
I know how hard the job is. I went into a burning building and brought 3 people out. I had to make SPILT SECOND decisions and I am not in that occupation. You make the call and hope you did the right thing. My decision to go into a burning building was written up in a large National publication and I received hundreds of letters and e mails thanking me. I simply said Police and Fire do this every day thank them. First Responders have my respect. It’s easy to look back and second guess like being a Charger fan. I don’t expect you to accept my opinions just consider them.
justmy2cents-You seem to be saying that I am uniformed (and ungrateful) if I view your own intervention in a burning building, which was brave, laudatory and reflected the split-second judgment required to keep a tragedy from occurring as something significantly different than the response to a naked swimmer. I’m not buying that.
You seem to be saying that all first responses are the same, according to established protocol. I’m not buying that either. There was a first response to the OB situation and then a whole lot of backup. So some decision was made after the initial first response, and I am questioning that decision.
I have had numerous occasions to thank the police- my husband and I were mugged at gunpoint, our home has been broken into twice and I live in a neighborhood where dead kids turned up all too often in the City Heights streets circa 1990’s. Gangs you know… As I think I posted elsewhere, I have had to call the police more than a CPA over the past 20 years. That being said I remain uneasy over a number of changes I have seen within PD over the past years which have included more police cars responding at any given time to “incidents.”
Bottom line- my concern with the police response in OB remains; and I thank you for saving human lives.
Well this could go on and on But it will not.
The botton line is ” some decision was made after the initial first response and I am questioning that decision” Until you stand in those shoes to make that call its easy to question the decision. If you really feel the way you keep saying you do, you will get involved in changing the policies. Otherwise its just a keybored excerise.
good day.
justmy2$ – One last word LOL – I was involved at least twice during the last couple of decades in trying to change policies of the SDPD. (Did you read my post and follow-up comments?) Part of the point is that their over-reaction last Saturday shows that they have not learned their lessons.
No one is defending the naked guy, right? So quit on that. What the focus is on the over-reaction by the cops. “until you stand in their shoes” is a cop-out (no pun intended). It’s like you’re saying you can’t criticize cops or politicians or anyone with authority unless you stand in their shoes or boots. That’s plain unaltered BS. We are the public – they serve us. Bottom line here. And the natives are pissed off!
Okay, we disagree, but stop with the attempt at standing on the moralistic high ground, 2 cents.
Please explain to me how ” until you stand in their shoes ” is a cop out….Unless you have the experince, training, and responibility we all will never know whats involved in making split second decisions……..Maybe you have the training to address this?? Educate me please.
Thats the spirit.. your ” stop with the attempt” statement , if you dont like a opinion tell them to stop…..Well Shit maybe the drug use and selling will stop if I tell the travlin kids to stop doing it !!!
JM2C – you said this several days ago:
“Well this could go on and on But it will not.”
So,why now, after a week are you back on this. Have to have the last word? Do you know what a troll is? A troll is someone who trolls the blogosphere and makes comments just to get people’s ire up.
OB is turnig more and more into southeast SD. How come nobody says anything about the woman that got shot in the back behind Jack-In-the Box about 3 weeks ago? And the very next day some dude’s car was carjacked at gun point at 4900 Muir Street. How about the home invasion robbery on Moana Street this week? If you realy want to see what’s going down around your house check this link: http://mapping.arjis.org/, you can set the search to show you all the BS that’s going around your house. I found several websites that let you scan SDPD radio traffic and let me tell you most of the crime in Western Division (which covers OB) are generated in OB area. Unfortunatelly OB is way above North Park (that has all the pimps and prostitutes )and Linda Vista (many gangs and used to be nbr 1 in auto-theft in SD) when it comes to radio calls (serious ones too, not party calls or BS).
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/01/life-sentence-mount-helix-abduction-case/
I got to see parts of this trial as it went down. What’s the link to OB, Mr Nelson and his cronies stayed in OB for most of the days he had the poor woman in the car
I think the OBRAG guys are avoiding to touch (or missing) valid stories that place in OB. Yeah, we know the gov is corrupt, the war is bad, the f.. “pigs” like their toys too much. How about what can be done to make OB safer and the ideal place it can be?
please. I grew up in Southeast SD. OB is not like southeast SD. Get your head out of your police scanner and step outdoors. Sure, we have crime. Show me a town with more than 20,000 residents that doesn’t, then move there.
agreed. From what I understand, theres only a few neighborhoods in San Diego where you are LESS likely to be assaulted, murdered, or mugged than OB. I think most of them start with “Rancho”.
I live in Southeast SD now. yeh. no. OB is no where near what we deal with daily, but, it’s a lot worse than it was in the early 90s when I spent my nights there. Hanging out. You can’t do that here. You’d be stupid to spend too long at the liquor store up the street from me after dark. It’s continually robbed.
In fact. Buy your alcohol and smokes in the day.
This was excessive, for one nude college kid.
The behavior of the San Diego Police is worse than during the 70’s. Their behavior has gotten
“darker” along with the color of their uniforms. They used to wear tan uniforms but apparently
dark blue better reflects the militarization of the department. As far as I’m concerned, a sworn
police officer’s first duty is to the Constitution but from Chief Lansdowne on down to recruits, they no longer respect Constitutional rights and if you ask about your rights they either smirk or
put you in handcuffs just for asking the question.
I read with interest the news article when it first appeared on my local news webpage. It is not a new story. Just those involved. As most of you know, the relationship between the SDPD and the people of OB has been at best a fluid relationship since the 60’s. And it in likelihood will remain that way, and these sorts of incidents are going to occur from time to time.
What is unfortunate is the black and white perspective of the situation. Either for or against, either right or wrong, either absolutely pro-police or anti-police. And from what I can discern, there is no chance for communication or education. From what I can tell from reading these entries, there is no action committee of sorts to address community issues, such as police over reaction, public drunkeness, the large houseless community, and the like. Just like I am here, we write our opinions and perhaps believe our civic responsibility ends there. Words without action are decorative at best.
I come from a very unique perspective in that I grew up in OB (third generation), and for a time in the 70’s and 80’s worked as a police officer there. Because I was from the community, I understood its spirit and was able to work with community, often garnering its support when I was faced with a crowd situation…I had sufficient “naked man” encounters that I understand how ugly they can turn in a minute if not handled properly.
Recently, at Sacred Heart of OB we had a regretful situation with several police officers as Mass ended. I wrote a letter to the SDPD regarding the situation and was ignored. I had to file a Citizen Complaints Form (the equivalent of a traffic citation to the police) in order to receive a response. A placating telephone call later….and still no resolution. OBeachens apparently not taken seriously, regardless of past affiliation.
Clearly something is broken in this community. But it can be fixed…if you want it. I left law enforcement over 25 years ago, and through a convuluted journey now teach and work in restorative justice, as a trainer and mediator. I have been privy to meetings with a number of community organization and the police of the past several years, and at least on the surface, the communication and relationships appear to be healthy. But at least they are communities with solidarity and have the attention of the police department. OB does not.
WE are at a cross-roads here. WE can sit on our rears with our laptops and whine about the police and attempt to re-live the past as OB continues to be a quaint anachronism. Or WE can once again work collaboratively to organize the community to have a voice, and leave behind a working legacy to keep the spirit and soul of OB alive. Perhaps a dialogue with those interested would be a start….I am willing, are you?
Peace, Jack (jbhamlinesq@sbcglobal.net)
Jack – welcome, and thanks for your input. Any more details about that incident at Sacred Heart that you’d like to include?
Finally! The voice of reason enters the blog. Thanx, Jack, for your contribution to the very worthwhile issue being discussed.
What cha got in mind for starting this two-way dialogue? I’m interested.
Sunshine
Thank you for your comment. I work in mediation, and I think the first step is to do some fact finding. This is a very volatile issue, and having been on both sides of the fence, some very reasoned talk about exactly what happened, what the latent conflicts are, and what WE should do to move forward.
I truly believe the OB legacy ( I really miss the peace sign with the fist ) is viable, but it is not static. It is dynamic and must grow, adapt and in some respect assimilate to the times without losing its identity.
I would welcome a meeting with anyone who is interested to air concerns and then get to the meat of the issues and what WE think is the best way to proceed.
Peace, Jack
If I trust You, everything else will become, for me, strength, health, and support. Everything will bring me to heaven. If I do not trust You, everything will be my destruction.
Thoughts in Solitude, Thomas Merton
Jack, how can you “miss” the peace sign with the fist when it’s up in the title of the very page you’re blogging on.
Peace, love, & justice,
I was referring to seeing it in the windows of OBeachen’s homes……
Frank
I will let it try to work itself out through the appropriate process…allowing the police to police their own. I have given them two chances, and three strikes you’re out. I will let you know in a couple of days.
Peace, Jack
If I trust You, everything else will become, for me, strength, health, and support. Everything will bring me to heaven. If I do not trust You, everything will be my destruction.
Thoughts in Solitude, Thomas Merton
As you might guess, I am backing up the cops on this one 100%.
Just wandering…is Linda the latest reincarnation of Lisanob?
No. Definitely not. I know Linda. I like Linda. I have worked with her in the past helping to paint out graffiti and clean up after some of the knuckleheads down there. She puts up with a lot of crap in the area she lives. I don’t agree with her on everything she’s had to say here, but given her position, I understand why she’s so frustrated. She cares about this community. Lisanob just wanted to pick fights online and had some weird resentment toward the community.
I’m sorry, but what the hell did this guy expect?
A lovely invite to quit acting like a dick?
I am down with 3 tazers for acting like a jackass… I think we need MORE tazers!
When I moved here ten years ago, I snickered a bit, at the notion that SDPD,
shot first, investigated later.. but really, I’m not gonna go whining *police brutality*
I’m just gonna say .. “dumb-ass shouldn’t been being a dumb-ass”
/Don’t expect any pity from me.. and next time I get high off my rocker and
jump into the “Surf Only” area, at TWO in the AFTERNOON on a SATURDAY,
then start shit with the lifeguards, and get tazed..three times….
… I won’t expect any pity from you
Did anyone get the scoop on which frat he belonged to?
://aGGona
Po’Lese protect and serve a propertied class that’s crumbling under the sorrows of empire…not from the indescretions of a few low life mopes! That’s like invading Iraq for the attrocities of 9-11 ($t*rbuck$ in OB not included). Law and order types will never be satisfied for in spite of thier possessions live a vacuous and souless existence. They’ll rationalize any behavior of the authorities and back them 100% like the “Good Germans” they are. Pharasees and Hypocrites…I’m outta here!
If SDPD wanted to make their jobs safer, and the lives of those living in OB safer, they might consider offering a townhall forum to air thoughts on nonviolent solutions to crime fighting in our community. Why do we need to use guns on dogs during Farmers Market, and why was there a need to use a taser on a guy who just wanted to swim naked? I agree, if there were kids around or families who didn’t expect or want to see a naked guy in the surf, this could be upsetting to watch. But some of us on OBRag have a growing distrust with SDPD’s interactions with our community. Why the need to brandish weapons for conflict resolution in our community? Is it just me, or is there a trend of escalation of violence by SDPD in OB? For a living, I assist in resolving issues. I have been threatened. And I have been scared. But over the years I have learned to “talk down” those threatening violence or acting out violently in the workplace. Lifeguards, police, detectives, vigilantes all need to take a class on negotiations. You can negotiate almost any situation without ever having to escalate to lethal/violent force. I am also a realist. And I know that not every situation can be negotiated. But had the lifeguards and police been trained recently on nonviolent negotiations, this naked swimming guy may have never been tasered, and he may have not escalated. I wonder if the lifeguard who initially made contact with naked swimming guy, could have coaxed this man out of the water without being confrontational and taking his behavior and words personally? I hope that those directly involved learned something about themselves, and how to handle this type of situation in the future, without having to get police involved or adding fuel to the fire. I am not taking sides here. The situation is not about he said she said. And by no means do I think threatening or assaulting someone is ok. I am simply saying that those involved might want to take a hard look at what they could have done differently to avoid adding fuel to naked swimming guy’s fire, and if they could do it again, how could it have found peaceful, negotiated resolution with no one feeling demeaned, threatened or being assaulted.
attention all life guards: stop acting like cops!! we need to trust you unquestionably but if you are going to behave like a police officer, we won’t. forewarned is forearmed.
Sorry I could not resist this. I was walking up to Starbucks this afternoon and saw two SD cops on bicycles, couldn’t help but note they were riding on the sidewalk. It turned out they were giving a woman a ticket for sitting on the sidewalk against the building. I had to say this to the biggest cop on his bike, “at least you guys on bikes can’t come screaming into OB at 70MPH”. He just smiled and I moved on. Thanking the OB comedy god.