Two Pismo Beach police officers axed

February 13, 2015

Pismo Beach Police DepartmentBy KAREN VELIE

Three Pismo Beach police officers were reprimanded and two were let go late last year because of issues in their romantic relationships that allegedly impacted their ability to serve as peace officers.

Two of the officers had a relationship with one another and the third had an altercation with a girlfriend while on the job. In one case, issues with honesty and not the actual incident were the primary reason for termination, sources said.

Several months ago, officer Leslie Stout stopped by Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant in Pismo Beach after learning his girlfriend was planning to leave the restaurant and head to another bar with some friends, restaurant staff said.

Patrons at the restaurant watched as Stout, who was on duty at the time, forced his girlfriend into his police car before driving away, restaurant staff said. A concerned patron then called police to report the physical altercation between Stout and his girlfriend.

A week later, police internal affairs investigators called Giuseppe’s and asked to view the security tapes of the incident, which had already been recorded over.

Nevertheless, on Dec. 23 Stout was terminated because of the altercation with the woman he has since married and also because of issues with his version of events, sources said.

In addition, a Grover Beach woman who suffers from seizures has accused Stout of excessive force after he allegedly mistook the aftermath of a seizure for intoxication.

On Oct. 11, after Andrea Hansen, 32,  started having seizures while walking home from local establishment where she had been drinking alcohol, Hansen called 911 seeking medical assistance.

However, Stout and another officer arrived instead of an ambulance. Because Hansen acted disoriented and slurred her words, the officers determined she was intoxicated. Officers then sent the first ambulance that arrived on the scene away.

Stout reported that Hansen slurred her speech, smelled of alcohol, and was combative. Stout arrested Hansen who was later charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, and battery of a peace officer – all misdemeanors.

Hansen has retained attorney David Vogel, and regardless of the outcome of her criminal case, she could pursue a lawsuit against the Pismo Beach Police Department.

In addition to Stout’s dismissal, a female officer who was on a one-year probation as a new hire was also let go. Rebecca Ramond began working for the Pismo Beach Police Department on June 16. She was let go on Oct. 8 after it was determined she was in a romantic relationship with her field training officer, sources said.

The training officer was not terminated. Nevertheless, because of a California law that exempts personnel information about sworn peace officers from disclosure, the department is not releasing what disciplinary was taken.

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Is there an app that would allow me to cue in the appropriate “Soap Opera” music as I’m reading this crap?


i gotta say im impressed seems like now days a cop has to shoot somebody to get fired, or reprimanded.


Like most “sex scandals” – it isn’t so much the sex (though that is usually a no-no in command hierarchies), rather it is about HONESTY. Often, people who cheat with sex have no problem lying or worse.


Best to cull the herd and set examples. Hopefully, examples to other departments (i.e. on how to be an effective leader of a police department).


I am surprise that Pismo PD is proactive (Ahead of others) in selection and keeping a clean, genuinely clean PD.

They were not that way before!

Their aim appears for quality.

They are in the lead.

Respect & Trust


…except for the Training Officer; s/he will be free to abuse the position of authority on any new probationary hires in the future! W00T! unionized public institutions!


Hats off and compliments to Pismo administration for ‘taking out the trash’.


This is a brave move that you almost never see (or at least hear about) on the central coast as most LEO’s circle the wagons and seem to always be in the right.


Of course now the offending officers will sue and the taxpayer will pay once again, but at least Stout will be off the streets


Being in civil service and being above the law has gotten so bad I dont think the civil servants even know they are doing it…..


Love your little diatribe, how many times have you been arrested?!


Agreed! Even if the resolution wasn’t perfect, the fact that the Pismo PD took action and was transparent about it is a huge step in the right direction. Kudos to them and I hope that other area PDs take note and follow their example.


It takes 2 to tango and the FTO was having the affair as well as the gal who was on probation, he should have been let go also. Funny how in prostitution stings they bust the woman but not the man , this needs to change.


A field training officer should know not to have an affair with his students, where were his morals. Did he tell his CO about the affair? I doubt it, because they would have said it was not appropriate.


I suspect that it is legally a lot easier to let go of a probationary officer than a field training officer. They may have decided that it wasn’t worth the legal battle with a union-provided attorney to fire the other officer. That doesn’t make it right but it might be a matter of financial practicality.


Low-class and no-class.


stop hiring these military azz hat trained killers. they dont make good peace officers.


Point one: How do you know that these officers were ex-military?


Point two: What makes you so certain that ex-military are all (or even mostly) “azz hat trained killers?” The majority of people leaving the military are no worse psychologically than your average young civilian cop and many have an advantage in the area of maturity. Yes, ex-military personnel applying for police jobs should be screened for PTSD as well as for the general psychological problems found in all population groups. But your assumption about a predominance or “azz hat trained killers” is based in ignorance or brainwashing.


One of the past problems in civilian LE is the notion from their academy training to equal the military discipline and by the book.

Whereas overlooking the critical factor that for a military or LE agency to be successful it needs support of the public.

The notion of ignorance of the law is no excess has caused many problems and resentments for LE in especially the minor infraction level (for revenue).

There is simply and complexly too many minor in fractional regulations on the books for our youth, adults and seniors to know to get a zap awakening fine.

E.g. A new high school student from middle school riding his bike temporarily on the sidewalk because of too many vehicular traffic get cited.

E.g. Changes of parking regulations with inadequate notice.

I can go on, but the resultant is this, there will always be a fear-resentment steming from the depression or anger from seniors and youth out of pety shit infractions for not keeping a daily practice of keeping up with all the new or changed regulations in the expected perfect world model.


If there are to many laws to know right from wrong try blaming the ass bag politicians who write the laws not the cops who are paid too enforce them.


“just doing their jobs”


every last nazi said to a word at Nuremburg


The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.

Tacitus


one of the great stoics