PBPD Annual Report 2021
PISMO BEACH
ANNUAL2021 REPORT
Table of Contents
01 | Chief’s Welcome
02 | 75th Anniversary Commemoration
03 | Goals and Accomplishments
04 | Operations Division
05 | Special Assignments
06 | Support Services Division
07 | Community Service Technicians
08 | Parking
09 | Statistics - Calls For Service
10 | Statistics & Analysis
12 | Special Events
14 | Promotions, Recruitments & Hiring
15 | Training
16 | Investigations
17 | Recognitions
18 | Community Involvement
20 | Connect With Us
21 | In Memoriam
Chief’s Welcome
01
I am honored and proud to present to you the Pismo Beach Police Department’s 2021 Annual Report. This report is a snapshot of
some of the great work being done by the men and women of the Police Department. It also provides insight into some of the
contfnuing challenges we face as it relates to crime.
I am humbled to have been chosen in 2021 to lead the Pismo Beach Police Department as the new police chief. I can assure you that
my passion and commitment to the residents, the business owners, and all the city employees is one of my top prioritfes. Toge ther
we will contfnue to move the City of Pismo Beach forward, building on our existfng foundatfon and the community partnerships that
have been established over the years. As a law enforcement agency, we are always looking for ways to improve during these
unprecedented challenging tfmes. One of our top prioritfes is to contfnue to harness the support of the community and do all we can
to maintain our reputatfon as a highly respected law enforcement agency.
This past year, city staff was excited to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the incorporatfon of the City of Pismo Beach. The police
department took this opportunity to celebrate our past by having 75th anniversary badges and patches made. In additfon to
celebratfng our 75th anniversary, the police department was excited to see the return of many of the city’s annual events. These
events included the 4th of July celebratfon, The Classic Car Show, Pumpkins in the Park and Marching Band Review, just to name a
few. All the events were well attended, and we were happy to partner with event organizers to ensure everyone had a fun and safe
event.
One of the departments main focuses this past year was coordinatfng the integratfon of the Grover Beach Police Department
dispatch center with ours, allowing us the opportunity to manage dispatch responsibilitfes for both citfes. The establishment of a
unified dispatch, with neighboring small citfes, allows us to be more efficient and effectfve in addressing the needs within our
communitfes. The department’s dispatch supervisor and dispatchers have worked diligently to ensure a successful merger. I am very
thankful for all the hard work that has been done to hire and train the staff needed for these added positfons. I am confiden t this will
be a very successful partnership.
The Pismo Beach Police Department is considered one of the country’s best small beach town police departments. We have been
awarded natfonal accreditatfon through the Commission on Accreditatfon for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and in 2021
completed our annual assessment with high marks. The community can be proud to know that their police department will contfnue
to maintain and adhere to natfonally recognized standards for excellence for years to come. We remain one of only 17 agencies in
the State of California to have our law enforcement division accredited and the first municipal agency in the State of Califo rnia to
enjoy accreditatfon in our communicatfons center.
Developing and maintaining community partnerships is the cornerstone of our system of policing here in Pismo Beach, so I want to
thank all of you who have worked alongside us to keep our city safe. I am very proud of our police department and what we hav e
accomplished, and I look forward to contfnued successes and achievements.
Jeff Smith
Chief of Police
2021 marked the City of Pismo Beach's
75th anniversary of serving its residents,
businesses, and the greater community. Officially
established on April 25, 1946, after beginning its
existence as a gold-rush-era beach community,
Pismo Beach was founded on the same principles
that we contfnue to value today—commitment to
excellence and integrity. Established in the late
1800s by J. M. Price, a former San Luis Obispo
County Supervisor, Pismo Beach’s namesake is the
word pismu, meaning tar, that was used by the
Chumash people who originally inhabited the area.
Pismo Beach soon became known as the “Clam
Capital of the World” and came to exemplify the
notfon of a classic California beach town. Today,
Pismo Beach retains its classic charm and is stfll
known for its iconic Pier, surfing competftfons,
clam chowder, annual community events, and
miles of scenic shoreline. During our 75 years as a
city, Pismo Beach and the surrounding community
have contfnually grown to become internatfonally
known as a destfnatfon with something to offer every visitor. Nestled between the blue waters of the Pacific and the rolling hills of Wine
Country, Pismo Beach has contfnued to be an innovatfve and inclusive community that is parallel to none. We are proud to serve this
well-respected community and enjoyed celebratfng 75 Years in this beautfful city that we call home. Pismo Beach is a small but mighty city
that prides itself on its world-class amenitfes, economic strength, regional partnerships, “Classic California” character, and five-tfmes-
accredited Police Department, all of which contribute to the quality of life for its residents, businesses, and visitors. The City of Pismo Beach
remains committed to providing a vibrant, safe community for its residents to live and recreate in.
75th Anniversary Commemoration
In October 2021, a Gala was held
by the city at the Pismo Beach Pier
Plaza. Open to the public, the night
held dancing, entertainment,
dinner and concluded with a
spectacular fireworks display.
Pictured here from left to right at
the Gala is Gordon Jackson
(Executfve Director of Recreatfon,
Tourism & Events), Ben Fine
(Director of Public Works,
Engineering and the Wastewater
Treatment Plant), Jim Lewis (City
Manager), Nadia Feeser (Director
of Administratfve Services), Chief of
Police Jeff Smith and Jorge Garcia
(Assistant City Manager).
02
Despite the changes,
promotfons, and the
obstacles presented by the
contfnuing pandemic, the
Pismo Beach Police
Department was able to
accomplish many goals and
objectfves.
The City Council approved
the purchase of a 32-foot
mobile command vehicle
this year. After completfon
of the design, the vehicle
was delivered this past
November. This vehicle will
help facilitate the
command of critfcal incidents, and special events, enabling communicatfon and coordinatfon from a centralized locatfon in the field. The
Mobile Command Vehicle can also be used as a secondary, mobile emergency operatfons and dispatch center. The Mobile Command
Vehicle has been clearly marked to resemble our patrol vehicles and outiitted with the necessary supplies to effectfvely mana ge a large-
scale event.
Staff successfully researched, tested and purchased
new primary weapons systems, including the
implementatfon of a technologically advanced pistol
sightfng system.
All personnel were able to complete the first
responder Incident Command System (ICS) 100 and
200 training courses. These courses teach a unified
system to coordinate allied agencies to respond to a
large incident without delay or confusion.
To assist with criminal apprehension, a Drone
Program was launched in 2021. Spike strips were
also provided for all patrol vehicles, along with
deployment training.
Goals & Accomplishments
Many of the department goals have their foundatfon in the standards
set forth by the Commission on Accreditatfon for Law Enforcement
Agencies (CALEA). The department has been accredited since 2007.
This year CALEA moved to annually certffying a percentage of the
department’s policies and procedures each year over the course of
the four-year accreditatfon cycle. We were pleased to receive
positfve feedback by the CALEA Compliance Manager.
Operations Division
The Operatfons Division encompasses all aspects of the patrol functfon which includes the Traffic Division, K -9 Team, S.W.A.T., Special
Problems Unit, D.A.R.E., Reserve Officers, Citfzen Volunteers, Special Events Planning, the Emergency Operatfons Center, the Parking
Bureau, and the Community Service Technicians. Patrol is the largest sectfon of the Operatfons Division, providing coverage t o the
City of Pismo Beach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The patrol functfon is lead by a Shift Sergeant who is also the Watch Comm ander.
Each shift also has a Corporal who works as a Field Supervisor for the remaining patrol officers on each shift. Patrol and tr affic
operatfons are conducted in clearly marked police vehicles, police motorcycles, electric bicycles, and a Polaris off -road vehicle.
Among their numerous dutfes, patrol officers enforce laws, conduct checks of businesses and public spaces, monitor traffic, a nd
respond to emergencies.
Special Assignments
The Pismo Beach Police Department offers a wide
array of specialty assignments, contrary to many
other small departments. The presence of numerous
specialty assignments allows our officers the
opportunity to specialize in certain types of law
enforcement actfvitfes and provides better overall
service to the community. Additfonally, specialty
assignments make the Pismo Beach Police
Department a more desirable place to work,
increasing our ability to recruit and retain quality
officers.
This year we were able to train and deploy officers
in the following specialty assignments: A K9 Officer,
a Motorcycle Traffic Officer, a Detectfve in the
Investfgatfons Bureau, a San Luis Obispo Regional
SWAT Operator (Special Weapons and Tactfcs), and
two Rangemaster’s. Looking forward, as staffing
levels increase, we will have the opportunity to add another officer to our Downtown Resource Officer Program (DROP), an addi tfonal SWAT
Operator, as well as multfple drone pilots for our Drone Program. The Color Guard Team (shown above) includes Sgt. Souza, Cp l. Jimenez, Sgt.
Weimer and Sgt. Hernandez. K9 Officer Mytych (shown below with K9 Rex) also leads our D.A.R.E. Program.
29,617
Calls for Service in 2021
05
Support Services Division
This past July, our dispatch center began the consolidatfon
process to provide full-tfme dispatching services for the Grover
Beach Police Department. Pismo Beach Police now dispatches
for both agencies from the same dispatch center. The efforts
by our dispatch staff this past year has been nothing short of
phenomenal. Our successful recruitment resulted in all nine
dispatch positfons being filled with top-quality employees who
are in different stages of the training process.
The Records Department is an integral part of the police
department. In additfon to handling all the walk-up counter
requests for informatfon, they are responsible for processing
all reports completed by officers. This year, records personnel
processed over 3,500 reports, which included follow -up
supplemental reports by officers. They are responsible for the
disseminatfon of all the reports to include criminal
investfgatfons sent to the District Attorney’s Office for
prosecutfon.
Jennifer Sun, the department Crime Analyst, (pictured
right) provides intelligence to the department through the
analysis of data from crime patterns, geographical,
demographic, and other related data. This informatfon is
used to assist patrol operatfons, investfgatfons and the
management team to provide the highest standards of
policing to the City of Pismo Beach. This year Crime
Analyst Sun created an interactfve map available to the
public on the city website to view crimes based on
geographical locatfon. This next level service is among
several optfons that provide valuable informatfon to our
community.
The Citfzen Volunteer Patrol (CVP) is made up of community
members who are willing to dedicate their tfme and effort
towards maintaining Pismo Beach’s great reputatfon as an
area where citfzens and visitors want to be. The dutfes of
the CVP include crime watch patrol, security checks of
homes and businesses, records functfons, special events,
traffic control, emergency call outs for natural disasters,
neighborhood watch, and crime preventfon, to name a few.
Pictured to the left is Volunteer Norma Patterson assistfng
in the Records Division. The police department is extremely
thankful to the Citfzen Volunteers of our department who
help throughout the year.
06
Community Service Technicians
• Bicycles on the pier: PBMC 12.20.170
• Bicycles on sidewalks: PBMC 10.04.210
• Skateboarding prohibited: PBMC 10.24.020 A
• Dogs off leash: PBMC 6.12.150 A
• Open alcohol containers: PBMC 9.04.020 B
At the directfon of the City Council, the police department launched a new program involving Community
Service Technicians. In an effort to maintain quality of life, the Community Service Technicians (CSTs) focus on
the downtown area and our city parks to enforce municipal code violatfons. CST ’s regularly observe and issue
citatfons for:
• Littering: PBMC 8.16.010
• Dogs on the pier: PBMC 12.20.180
• Smoking - pier/promenade area: PBMC 12.20.175 A
• Display/sale of merchandise: PBMC 12.20.185 D
Parking
The Parking Division in Pismo Beach focuses their efforts in the downtown area. Parking optfons in the downtown area consist of
paid parking lots and pay-to-park metered spaces. Metered spaces can be paid for with coins, credit cards, or through a mobile
app. The overall occupancy rate along with the revenue generated by the Parking Division has gone up as visitors have contfnu ed
to flock to the City of Pismo Beach. The Parking Division is staffed by one full -tfme supervisor and several part-tfme parking officers
which varies throughout the year. Their dutfes include educatfon, enforcement, and upholding a high level of customer service to
the residents and visitors.
Peak Hours:
11:00 am - 1 pm
Parking Citations Issued in 2021
12,332
56% - Failure to pay for parking
21% - Expired paid parking
8% - Unpermitted Hours
08
Download our parking
app by scanning this QR
code. The app will allow
you to quickly find
parking, extend your
parking tfme and enter
your locatfon and other
details without using the
machine.
Statistics - Calls For Service (CFS)
09
Statistics & Analysis
Calls for Service by Type Crime & Traffic
Incident Reports
10
Calls for Service by Type Crime & Traffic
11
Special Events
4th of July Celebratfon City to the Sea Just Cruzin’ Car Show
75th Anniversary Easter Eggstravanza K9 Demonstratfons
Back to School Safety Halloween Safety Memorial Day Service
Clam Festfval Holiday Harmony at the Pier Operatfon Surf
ISA Para World Surf Competftfon
We are excited to see traditional events continue this year!
Pack 51 Bear Den Demo Red Ribbon Week Special Olympics Torch Run
Pismo Beach Marching Band Review St. Anthony’s Celebratfon Taste of Pismo
Pismo Paw’p Fest Secret Santa’s Elves Christmas Delivery Tip A Cop for Special Olympics
POA Thanksgiving Dinner Shell Beach Stroll Veteran’s Day Service
Pumpkins in the Park Wine, Waves and Beyond
Promotions, Recruitments & Hiring 400
Job Applications were received this
year for open positions as a Police
Officer, Dispatcher, Records Clerk
and Parking Officer
20
Positions were filled in 2021 with the
hiring of a new Police Chief, 2 Police
Officers, 7 Dispatchers, 1 Records
Clerk & 9 Parking Officers
The Pismo Beach Police Department takes pride in the quality of employees we hire and promote. In 2021, Sergeant Chris Trimbl e
was promoted to Commander, Corporal Jason Spears became a Sergeant and Officers Chris Siglin, Maria Espinoza and Erik Jimenez
all promoted to Corporal. All supervisor and management positfons are fully staffed.
14
The Pismo Beach Police Department is committed to giving its members the training and tools they need to do the job well. All our employees
are required to maintain and update their training in certain areas such as perishable skills, policy and procedure, arrest a nd control, firearms
proficiency, etc. Employees attend different training depending on their area of expertfse.
Sworn officers must attend several mandatory trainings each year and also training in their specific disciplines (i.e. K9, Mo torcycle, SWAT,
etc.). Records personnel attend training in the law regarding the department ’s records systems, Public Records Act requests, etc. All
department members also train in communicatfon skills, de-escalatfon techniques, bias-based policing and must maintain a certain number of
Contfnuing Professional Training hours each year.
In 2021, with COVID restrictfons lightening up, the department was able to send staff to essentfal training to keep current w ith legislatfon and
career development. Over 2,450 hours of training were completed this past year.
Training 2,450
Training hours in 2021
15
The Pismo Beach Investfgatfon Bureau is comprised of an
Investfgatfve Sergeant and one full-tfme Investfgator. The
Investfgatfon Bureau also oversees the property and evidence
unit which is managed by Community Services Officer Rachelle
LaPan (shown left). Due to the small size of the bureau,
investfgators utflize all available resources to conduct large -
scale investfgatfons and undercover operatfons. The bureau
works directly with other local and state law enforcement
agencies, including the San Luis Obispo County District
Attorney’s Office, in solving and reducing crime throughout
the City of Pismo Beach.
In 2021, Investfgators reviewed more than 600 cases, pursued
approximately 250 actfve investfgatfons, served 48 warrants,
closed over 150 cases, and conducted 6 background
investfgatfons for Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW)
permits. Investfgators were responsible for the investfgatfon of and solving a variety of crimes such as aggravated assaults,
attempted homicide, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, and other fraud -related crimes.
Cases of partfcular interest this year included an investfgatfon of a shootfng that occurred in the downtown area, where the intended
victfm was not injured from gunfire. Detectfves located and reviewed surveillance camera footage from neighborhood residents an d
were able to identffy the five suspects involved in the shootfng. This investfgatfon was submitted to the San Luis Obispo County
District Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecutfon on charges including attempted homicide.
Another interestfng case taken on by the Investfgatfon Bureau was a stabbing that occurred in the parking lot of a local rest aurant
where the victfm sustained significant injuries. Suspect informatfon was obtained and a broadcast to local agencies was made. With
the assistance of neighboring agencies, the suspect and vehicle were located. Video surveillance footage from nearby businesses
was obtained and additfonal evidence was secured from the suspect vehicle. This
investfgatfon led to the arrest of the suspect and criminal charges for attempted
homicide were requested.
Investigations
INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATIONS
The Pismo Beach Police Department considers the investigation of complaints regarding an employee’s
actions or violations of our policies to be a high priority. Supervisors training in internal affairs have received
specific training to investigate all complaints objectively and thoroughly. At the conclusion of the
investigation, the findings are provided in writing to the complainant.
Citizen complaints consist of an allegation of misconduct or improper job performance against any police
department employee that, if true, would constitute a violation of department policy, federal, state, or local
law. Complaints may be initiated externally by a citizen or internally by a department employee. All
complaints received, whether in person or anonymously, are investigated.
The Pismo Beach Police Department is very proud that its employees attract very few formal complaints. It is,
and will always be, the goal of this department to reduce the number of complaints. Continued training has
proven to equal great success in this endeavor.
16
1
2021 included IA investfgatfon regarding
an officer involved shootfng in SLO County,
which was held over from 2020 due to an
outside agency investfgatfon.
Recognitions
On July 14, 2021, Polo Ralph Lauren honored the Pismo Beach
Police Officers who arrested several subjects on suspicion of
burglary and property damage. The suspects drove a vehicle
through the front windows of the store, grabbing approximately
$20,000 in merchandise and attemptfng to make a quick escape.
The car, however, had sustained extensive damage and became
completely disabled as officers were in pursuit, ultfmately taking
the suspects into custody.
Polo Ralph Lauren commemorated the successful arrests with
Certfficates of Appreciatfon and a small breakfast banquet.
Being located right off the freeway and near a bus stop make the
Outlets a prime target for thieves. Our officers work closely with
store employees to ensure their safety, deter offenders and
solve crimes quickly. (Pictured left to right: Officer Will Anderson,
Corporal Erik Jimenez, Sergeant Jason Spears and Sergeant Kyle
White).
Officer Kyle Laughlin (left) and Corporal Chris Siglin (right)
were celebrated in September 2021 by Mothers Against
Drunk Driving (MADD).
MADD is powered by hundreds of thousands of passionate
advocates and supporters in the fight against drunk and
drugged driving. Statfstfcs show that every day about 800
people natfonwide are injured in a drunk or drugged driving
crash.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving presented Officer Laughlin
with the Deuce Award, having made 28 DUI arrests in 2020.
Corporal Siglin earned the Deuce Award and, the highly
sought after, Top Arrestfng Officer Award with 47 DUI
arrests the previous year.
Detectfve Kyle Laughlin and Dispatcher Monika Gunn earned the
prestfgious Officer and Employee of the Year Awards, which is voted
on by their peers.
Detectfve Laughlin was chosen for his efforts in becoming a Field
Training Officer and transferring to the Detectfves Bureau. His peers
specifically noted that he is kind to everyone he has contact with,
stays proactfve, is easy to get along with and makes effectfve arrests
out on the streets.
When the Dispatch Center was understaffed for a period of tfme,
Dispatcher Gunn stepped up to fill many overtfme shifts and operate
as a Dispatch Trainer. She was chosen by her peers for her attentfon
to detail, quick response to assist the officers in the field and never
compromising officer safety.
Community Involvement
Community Camera Partnership
Connect With Us
The Pismo Beach Police Department has made it possible
for residents and business owners to voluntarily register the
presence of video surveillance cameras within the city
through our Community Camera Partnership Program. This
program provides an invaluable investfgatfve tool for the
Pismo Beach Police Department to easily identffy locatfons
of video surveillance systems and request assistance in
obtaining that video evidence.
Having a partnership with the community assists the City of
Pismo Beach and its Police Department with maintaining a
proactfve, problem-solving approach by offering an
additfonal tool to deter criminal actfvity in our
neighborhoods.
The program is completely, 100%, voluntary and you may
choose to opt out of the program at any tfme.
You can find out more by visitfng the Police Department’s
website at www.pismobeach.org and choose ‘Crime
Preventfon’ on the left-hand side..
Crime Map
In 2021, the Pismo Beach Police Department developed and launched
a crime map to keep residents informed of crime trends within the
city. The records are also put through an exclusive data scrubbing
process that works to locate each crime incident geographically, to a
hundred block.
The crime map is broken up into the 12 zones and places small icons
on the map indicatfng the locatfon of incidents throughout the city.
The program allows the user to view crime for the past 7 days, 28
days, year or request a customized search.
The user can customize the search by crime type, day or night shift, or
day of the week. They can also click on an incident to get more details.
To view our Crime Map, go to the Police Department ’s website
www.pismobeach.org and choose ‘Crime Map’ on the left-hand side.
Have you connected with us on
Social Media?
This is a great platiorm to find out
the latest news at the Police
Department. From city ordinance
changes to updates about K9 Rex all
the way to silly pictures of cops
throwing pumpkins for a good
cause. You don’t want to miss what
we’re up to and we appreciate your
communicatfon, support and
feedback.
In Memoriam
Our neighbors to the south and north both experienced tragic losses in 2021, which were deeply felt by the members of the Pis mo
Beach Police Department and throughout our great natfon.
Arroyo Grande Police Chief Beau Pryor (pictured above) retfred on July 9, 2020 after 26 honorable years of service. On April 21, 2021
he passed away from health issues. Beau was the Police Chief for 3 years, but had also served as a Commander, Motorcycle Traffi c
Officer, Senior Police Officer, Detectfve, Sergeant and Detectfve Sergeant, amongst many other roles.
On May 10, 2021, San Luis Police Detectfve Luca Benedetti (pictured below) was tragically killed in the line of duty while se rving a
search warrant as part of an investfgatfon of a series of burglaries. Detectfve Benedetti was a 12 -year veteran of law enforcement,
having previously served with the Atascadero Police Department. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
With broken hearts, the Pismo Beach Police Department offers our condolences to the friends and family of these men. We are
proud to have called them friend and partner.
21
PISMO BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2021
Produced by Harmony Brown, Secretary to the Chief
1000 Bello Street
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
(805) 773-2208
www.pismobeach.org/police