Public notice on application for permanence of the SDPD trailer in the OB Pier parking lot. Photo by Sunshine.
Police Trailer Application for Permanent Placement in OB Pier Parking Lot on Agenda
Here is the official agenda for the Ocean Beach Planning Board’s Project Review Committee, for Wednesday, December 19th. The Committee is the sub-committee of the full Board and it makes recommendations on different projects and issues for the Board. The Committee, chaired by VP Landry Watson, begins sharply at 6pm and meets at the OB Recreation Center, at 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.
On the agenda are two important items, the Sprint Wireless antennae upgrade and renewal at the Masonic Lodge at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, and the application for a coastal permit to allow the San Diego police trailer to permanently remain in the OB Pier Parking lot.
Both issues have been contentious ones in the past.
The installation of wireless antennae was hotly contested back in the 1990s by local residents – not just on the Masonic Lodge but on other buildings within the village. This issue has simmered away as now everyone has cell phones, it is believed.
Also hotly debated and protested by a few activists back in the early days of this century was the police trailer smack in the middle of one of OB’s parking lots at the beach. Not only did it take up needed parking spaces for the beach and pier, but activists felt at the time that the trailer was an unnecessary intrusion by police into the good times and lives of OBceans.
Over the years, it turned out that the trailer was used more by City parking staff than police officers, where they could go and write out their tickets. But the trailer did allow city employees a resting spot, restrooms, and a chance to get out of the eyes of their supervisors and of the community itself.
This application before the Planners is for a permanent placement, however. Is OB ready to give up this space forever?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve lived in “high traffic areas” just adjacent to the water and have cleaned up my share of human excrement so this is something I’m just a little more than passionate about.
That trailer is nothing more than a pristine bathroom for SDPD to relieve themselves whenever they want to go. Nevermind they can go into any restroom they choose on Newport (Why? Because they’re cops, that’s why). No disrespect towards the SDPD, their job is not one that I envy, but San Diego needs to be called out on their lack of public restrooms for those who need them.
Someone should go on every tourism website and call San Diego out on this problem. My disabled mom nearly pissed herself while waiting for a Trolley one evening. There are no restrooms. People defecate and urinate. That’s just a fact of life. aybe that’s a gig I can give to my young son, teach him social activism and programming all at once and if anything, teach him how depraved people can be regarding “being human”.
Protip: If you don’t want to clean up human excrement on the sidewalks then open up some bathrooms. It’s really disgraceful. Even more disgraceful than the attitude that “if you build bathrooms it will attract more homeless”. Bullshit. It will keep the homeless from soiling the sidewalk and it will allow the elderly to relive themselves without fear of needing to wear a diaper when they go out.
Why don’t we talk about how that attorney Theodore Pinnock went and abused the ADA and caused every merchant to declare their restrooms off limits to customers because they don’t want to fall victim to having their pants sued from them. That’s the real reason there are no bathrooms on Newport.
BTW Pinnock is in “Deep Shit” himself. http://www.examiner.com/article/california-state-bar-suspends-theodore-pinnock
Make that trailer a public bathroom or get it out of town. SO there.
Hey Bill Ray – great to hear from you.
Back atcha Frank!
If the police trailer were to remain, then it should adhere to all building codes.
The windows should be blacked-out or be one way mirrors, so we don’t have to watch all the preliminaries to extraordinary rendition of the citizens of Newport Ave.
Frankly, I would like to see a turret installed so the officers manning the tower can better view the surrounding criminal activity in the parking lot. The turret could also be decorated for Solstice Celebration w/ tinsel & lighting. In addition the police officers’ billy clubs could also be decorated w/ tinsel & lighting for the winter holiday.
Actually, some of the San Diego police officers are so rotund they should be required to wear Santa Clause outfits under their bat-belts & holsters.
Strict policy should be adapted for the decorations should the trailer & the officers become permanent fixtures. There should be some consideration of when & where the officers may Taze people 14 years old & younger. A buffer zone of about 50 feet from the breaking waves should be a free area where the police may not Taze people of any age (high tide & low tide).
Remove the trailer forever & simply ask officers to walk the beat & actually get to know more people. Walk the beat–what an idea. Orthopedic inserts for all officers assigned to OB would be a helluva lot cheaper & more effective than a tacky ol’ trailer.