California Police Department Beclowns Itself While Defending Gun Seizures

A California police department’s attempt to pat itself on the back for several recent arrests ended up backfiring on social media, and now the department is just digging itself a deeper hole. 

On Monday, the Hermosa Beach Police Department shared a post on Facebook bragging about officers taking “5 loaded firearms off the streets” during separate traffic stops. There were a few critical comments in response, ranging from “What was illegal about these loaded guns?” to ““So you basically stole some guns from people?? Strange flex, but okay.”

The initial post was pretty dumb, but it’s hardly uncommon for police departments to share photos of seized guns and claim that the streets as a result, even when the guns in question are rusted, busted, and of little use to either criminals or lawful owners. 

Instead of just letting the matter rest, whoever’s running the department’s social media page decided to respond to the comments by critics, and that’s when things went off the rails. 

On Monday night, the Hermosa Beach Police Department made a second post in response to “feedback and concern” over the firearm recovery efforts.

“Believe it or not… HBPD does not violate rights or unlawfully seize firearms,” the Hermosa Beach police said in the new post. “We seize firearms from those who unlawfully possess, transport, conceal or manufacture these weapons to keep (Hermosa Beach) safe, as well as our neighboring cities.”

The department went on to explain that some of the people who had their guns taken away during traffic stops were carrying them illegally or concealing them, an act that’s against the California penal code. Others were also arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possessing narcotics.

They also issued a reminder that out-of-state permits are not valid in California and carrying in public can result in arrest and criminal charges.

“If you wish to learn more about lawful firearm possession, handling, transporting and manufacturing, we highly encourage you to,” the department said, “And if you have more time to spare, ghost guns and threaded barrels are also great lighting reading topics that can help you understand why HBPD takes the seizing of firearms very seriously.”

Threaded barrels? For real? 

Did the department violate California law by seizing guns that were being carried without a permit, or taking a firearm away from someone who possessed a concealed carry license issued by another state? No, but that doesn’t mean that rights weren’t violated, because California gun laws violate our Second Amendment rights in all kinds of ways. 

I don’t really expect the department to take a critical position of the state’s gun control regime, but the snark about “ghost guns and threaded barrels” was completely unnecessary, needlessly antagonistic, and mind-numbingly stupid. 

The department could have provided links or instructions on how to apply for a carry permit in Hermosa Beach. It could have noted that non-residents are now eligible to apply for a California permit (thanks to lawsuits from Second Amendment organizations).  Instead, it beclowned itself by talking about the threat posed by “ghost guns and threaded barrels”. 

By the way, I took the department’s advice and asked Google’s Gemini AI “why are threaded barrels dangerous?” Here’s what I learned:

Threaded barrels themselves are not inherently dangerous. They are designed to attach muzzle devices like suppressors or compensators, which can enhance shooting experience for recreational and competitive shooters. However, improper use or maintenance of threaded barrels and attached devices can create hazards. 

So thanks for the tip, whoever’s running the Hermosa Beach PD’s social media accounts. 

I’ve got a tip of my own for them: if they have any time to spare between their snarky posts, here’s a little light reading that might help them understand why some folks had a negative reaction to their original post.