Poll: OBceans Divided Over Future of Police Trailer

It doesn’t come as a shock to know that OBceans are divided over the future of the Police Trailer in the OB Pier parking lot.

The OB Rag just ran our weekly poll and with a fairly good number of  responses, and our readers tell us that about one-third – 32% – want to keep the trailer where it currently is and want the Police/ City to proceed with the Coastal Development permit.

Just under a third – 31% – want to move the trailer, but about one-sixth of that one-third (or 5% overall) are okay  with it in its current location on a temporary basis.

And nearly another third – 30.5% – have other priorities for a solution to the larger issue of the police presence in the community. Those were divided into two groups.

First, 18% of all respondents chose the option that agreed on the need for a strong police presence due to recent assaults, but found the trailer ineffective and called for officers to walk their beats.

And second, another 12% called on OBceans and community leaders to lobby the City of San Diego for a combined police sub-station and new lifeguard station.

Eight percent didn’t know what to do. The poll ran for one week, from January 4 to January 11.  It had 115 respondents who were asked to only choose one option, and there was no option to write in one’s own.  As in all our inter-active online polls, we cannot verify that our respondents are actually residents of Ocean Beach.  But at the very least, the following views reflect our readership, and a huge proportion of our readers reside in OB and the Peninsula.

Here is the poll in its entirety (first figure is the total votes for that option):

OB RAG POLL: What do you think about the “temporary” Police Trailer in the OB Pier parking lot, presently located there since 1999?

• OB needs the trailer where it is now located, especially because of all the illegal activity occurring in the vicinity – and it needs to be made permanent with proper permits, etc.

35 – 30%

• I support the Police Trailer there on a temporary basis only, and urge everyone to seek another location ASAP.

6 – 5%

• The trailer blocks the public view, takes up parking spaces, and needs to be moved out of the Pier parking lot.

7 – 6%

• The Police Trailer is not utilized by the Police, therefore it’s only “use” is as a deterrent against criminal activity, and that’s not good enough to keep it in its current location.

8 – 7%

• The trailer is an intrusion into our public space, and is symbolic of creeping “Big Brother”.

4 – 3%

• I agree that it is only a deterrent but we still need to keep it in its current location, and follow-through with the Coastal permit.

2 – 2%

• Move it to either under the Pier or to Robb Field.

9 – 8%

• OB needs to lobby city government for a new LifeGuard station that would include a police sub-station.

14 – 12%

• OB needs a strong police presence what with all the recent assaults, but the trailer has done nothing or not much to deter these assaults. More cops walking the beat, out of their cars, is more of an answer.

21 – 18%

• I just don’t know.

9 – 8%

Total Votes: 115  — Poll Started: January 4, 2013 – January 11, 2013