Excessive Force

I don't know what the problem with Glendale is when it comes to their Police force . . . but it seems like they enjoy breaking out the big guns just for the hell of it. I live in the city adjacent to Glendale, and we barely ever see cops. Mainly because we're under LAPD jurisdiction, but that's a different story. Glendale, having its own police force, seems to be out in force all the time. And it looks like they take their jobs a little too seriously.

Case in point. A couple of weeks ago, I'm walking to my usual sandwhich shop to pick up a turkey/bacon/avocado on wheat, when I notice that across the street, there are 5 motorcycle cops, engaging in police activity. "Who were they pulling over?" you might be asking yourself. "Was it some sort of GTA-esque chase?" I really hope so. Because these 5 cops, on fully decked out police motorcycles, had just pulled over a Mexican on a bicycle. I wish I could have taken a picture, but just as I whipped out my cellphone camera, they let the Mexican go on his way. I guess he wasn't the "Coyote" they were looking for. It's hard to hide illegal immigrants in a bike-basket.

Then, today, during my walk to lunch (same lunch location), I see a couple of cop cars and an armored-looking truck. Once again, I'm wondering if they're apprehending a terrorist cell that was just busted up at the Greek restaurant they were parked outside of. Nah, nothing that noteworthy. It was just some guy, with a backpack. It would seem that, usually, it would only take a cop car unit to handle this type of "threat" . . . but not in Glendale, where the motto must be "To Protect and to Serve . . . to the Xtreme!"

And this is not solely relegated to daily copy duties on the beat. My wife and I saw a convoy of motorcycles and cop car, full lights ablaze, going down one of Glendale's main thoroughfares (Colorado Blvd). You'd think they'd be escorting a foreign dignitary or maybe a President. Nah, it was one of the fucking Rose Parade floats. And not even a particularly good looking one. I would have understood if it was one of the Star Wars ones. My wife commented that this might have freaked her out if she had been in a different state of mind at the time. I'm glad she's put that stuff behind her. But, secretly, deep inside, I was kind of freaking out myself. Not due to paranoia. But due to the sheer amount of ridiculousness that the GPD exerts on a daily basis.