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R/S- Shasta County Crime Increases

ConditionThree

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http://redding.com/news/2008/feb/26/shasta-county-crime-increases/
Shasta County crime increases
Officials say several isolated incidents skew statistics
[line]

But officials at the Shasta County Sheriff's Office caution that because crimes are rare in Shasta County it takes only a few incidents to create large spikes in reported crime statistics.

"In Shasta County, we're pretty lucky that we don't have that many crimes to begin with," said Undersheriff Greg Wrigley.

Even so, reports of murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults and domestic violence increased from the year before.

There were 12 murders in 2007 -- up from eight the year before. Some 31 rapes were reported, compared with 19 the year before.

Robberies doubled in 2007 to 24 from the 12 in 2006.

Wrigley cautioned that the murder statistics were misleading because one murder scene accounted for five of the deaths.

On April 10, a Happy Valley family of six was found dead inside a charred home. Investigators suspect one of those found dead was the murderer, having shot his family members, then set the home on fire and died in the flames.

Wrigley said that if the Happy Valley mass murder is counted as one incident, then the murder rate is the same as the year before.

Sheriff Tom Bosenko noted in a statement that he's continuing to hire more deputies.

Of the 18 vacant deputy sheriff positions the sheriff's office reported at the end of 2007, 13 of those will be filled by June, he said.

And the year 2007 wasn't all bleak.

Arson calls dropped from 10 in 2006 to three in 2007, and auto grand theft dropped from 98 calls in 2006 to 51.

Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or at rsabalow@redding.com.

I have been told that Shasta County's relatively low crime rate makes open carry unnecessary and anachronistic.I agree our area isn't a metropolitan hotbed of crime, however, the problem is that when our small community experiences a spike in criminal activity, the odds of becoming a victim are much higher than in places like San Francisco or Los Angeles. What compounds this for small counties, is that we are less likely to get deputies and equipment on patrol with budget cuts looming on the horizon.

The explanation that statistics are skewed by a mass murder and would match last years numbers if it were considered one 'incident' is utterly fallacious.I doubt the administration would make that kind of distinction if one of their deputies shot six people with their sidearm and tried to tell his superiors that it only counted once.

You add to this recent localattacks with a baseball bat, a machete, a beating that put a high school student in the hospital, I am not at all convinced that I am safer carrying concealed in this supposed low crime oasis. If anything, I am more fearful with inadequate numbers of patrol deputies, expected budget cuts, and empty assurances that these crimesare isolated or anomalous circumstances.
 

ConditionThree

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Yes- this is a necropost.

But it is more news on the emerging problem with our economy and our crime rate.

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/feb/06/bank-robbery-suspects-captured-after-chase/

PA
LO CEDRO - Two bank robbery suspects' attempted getaway ended after about 15 minutes Thursday when a Shasta County sheriff's deputy rammed their minivan with his squad car in a busy Anderson parking lot.

The chase began minutes after an armed robbery was reported at the Tri-Counties Bank on Deschutes Road in Palo Cedro at 10 a.m.

It ended when deputies surrounded the robbery suspects at gunpoint after smashing their minivan in the parking lot of the Shasta Outlets in Anderson.

"We are fortunate that there wasn't loss of life here in the pursuit or at Tri-Counties Bank," said Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko.


http://www.redding.com/news/2009/feb/06/palo-cedro-pharmacy-robbed/
PALO CEDRO - Shasta County sheriff's deputies were looking for a man who robbed the Palo Cedro Pharmacy on Thursday night.

The robber was armed with an unknown type of handgun and reportedly forced employees to the floor before escaping with drugs.

The robbery took place at 5:57 p.m. in the pharmacy, which is on Deschutes Road just south of Highway 44.

It was the second robbery in Palo Cedro on Thursday. Two robbers led deputies on a chase after holding up the Tri-Counties Bank at 10 a.m., and they were captured 15 minutes later.

There was also a man who was apprehended shoplifting at one of the 24 hour supermarkets on this same day... and while these stories arent that big deal to metropolitan areas, where it is more commonplace, it represents a marked increase in crimnal activity in our community.

This is why citizens must be the deterent.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/apr/21/least-two-dozen-redding-police-department-employee/

Around two dozen Redding Police Department employees may be cut
By Ryan Sabalow (Contact)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009


Around two dozen community service officers and office workers at the Redding Police Department have been told that their jobs might be in danger as the city prepares to ratchet down amid a projected $3 million or more budget shortfall, sources say.

But city officials — from the police chief to the city manager and his assistant — declined to discuss the matter saying they were waiting on the release of a comprehensive list of potential cutbacks that could be available as early as Wednesday.

Three independent sources, in e-mails and in interviews with the Record Searchlight, said that on Tuesday around two dozen police department employees met with their managers and were told their jobs were potential targets for layoffs. One of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity. One person contacted the paper with a signed letter to the editor. The third contacted the newspaper in an anonymous e-mail.

Chief Peter Hansen confirmed that a meeting took place, but he declined to discuss it.

“I’ve been asked to keep this information confidential,” Hansen said. “Until the city manager comes out with some information, that’s where it needs to stay.”

Hansen also declined to release a copy of the memo sent to employees, saying it was a confidential personnel matter.

City Manager Kurt Starman and Assistant City Manager Barry Tippin said no layoff notices have been sent.

“We are preparing for a special City Council meeting on May 5 to discuss additional budget modifications,” Starman said in a voice mail message. “And so we are working on those issues as we speak. Department directors are chatting with employees that may be impacted by those budget actions. But we’ve not made any firm decisions at this point.”

Starman said a list of potential cuts could be released as early as Wednesday, and the information would be distributed to the public.

Brian Martin, one of the Redding Police Department employees in danger of being laid off, said any cuts to the workers who support officers and detectives would lead to longer response times for emergency calls.

“At this point approximately 70 percent of the calls for service are handled by these support personnel,” Martin said in a Record Searchlight letter to the editor. “If they are all gone, either officers will be bogged down with low-priority calls or the police department will simply be forced to stop providing anything but service for high-priority calls.”

The city already had been planning to cut at least $3 million from its general fund when it adopts a two-year budget in June.

The city likely will have to make even deeper cuts in light of a report last month which showed fourth-quarter sales tax receipts for 2008 were $5.02 million, down 11.4 percent in Redding from October through December compared with the same period in 2007.

The drop represented a $637,244 loss in sales tax revenue compared with the same quarter last year.

Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or at rsabalow@redding.com.



So, the city is looking at cuts that will further increase response times. The story is unlcear on just how far reaching these cuts will be and authorities are playing their hand close to their vest.

I have heard elsewhere that theContra CostaCounty DA indicated that they will not be prosecuting misdemeanor crimes due to expected budget shortfalls. With law enforcement organzationsmaking these retreats from providing services and prosecuting crimes, there will be a proportionate increase in lawlessness. The disinsentive for criminals to behave is evaporating.

Having been chastized for bringing back the 'Old West', I am struck by the irony that law enforcement is being cut back to the point they will have to rely on the public to maintain order. I am wondering if this could be the catalyst that broadens the acceptance by peace officers of citizen exposed carry.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/may/13/shasta-county-sheriff-may-have-to-cut-a-fifth-of/



Shasta County sheriff may have to cut a fifth of his staff
By Amanda Winters (Contact)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Facing $3.2 million in budget cuts, the Shasta County sheriff may have to eliminate 47 positions - about a fifth of his department - and close a floor of the jail, Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Tuesday.

Sheriff's Office administrators met with county administrators Monday afternoon to discuss the cuts.

Bosenko said he is teetering between keeping the jail fully staffed and maintaining an adequate patrol unit for the 800-square-mile county. Of the 47 positions that could be eliminated, 22 are vacant. Within the department there are 237 positions.

Further cuts to the patrol units would come at a time when crime is up and more officers, not fewer, are needed on the streets, he said.

In January, County Administrative Officer Larry Lees asked all county departments to cut 10 percent of their budgets, but Lees said so far Bosenko's department has not complied.

"I have not seen the sheriff's plan total," Lees said. "For the most part, it's my understanding the sheriff and probation group have not made those cuts at this time."

Shasta County has not spent money it doesn't have, so is better off than some California counties, Lees said. He said he encourages the county to continue on that course.

Reductions in grant funding, state funding and tax revenue have left the county facing a deficit of at least 10 or 12 percent over last year, Lees said.

"My job is public safety and I consider that a very top priority," Bosenko said. "I find it unacceptable to make those kinds of cuts to our patrol operations or our offender accountability."

Bosenko said he can't imagine pulling patrol staff to maintain a full jail staff, but also can't imagine letting offenders out early where they could pose a threat to society.

The jail houses up to 381 inmates on three separate floors.

If one floor were to close, that could mean up to 150 lower-classification inmates would be released, Bosenko said.

Low-classification offenses include DUIs, drug charges, robbery charges and domestic violence charges, he said.

Bosenko said he will be meeting with his staff later this week about the pending reductions and how they will be affected.

Lees said county budgets will continue to be scrutinized and altered until the 2009-2010 budget is finalized June 30. A budget workshop will be held June 8 to give the public a chance to learn about the process and weigh in.

Lees said all departments will have to make difficult, but necessary, cuts in the coming weeks.

"It's not a matter of one department being better than another; it's a matter of the cash is not there and we can't spend money we don't have," he said. "That's what I've always told the board: We can't spend money we don't have."

Shasta County Supervisor David Kehoe said the Board of Supervisors will put a lot of thought into the level of funding allocated to the Sheriff's Office.

"The board is cognizant of the public safety needs," he said. "We will weigh all of the considerations very carefully and then make a decision as to the allocation of our limited resources."

Reporter Amanda Winters can be reached at 225-8372 or awinters@redding.com.



Let's do a little dirty math. 47 from 237 is 190. Many of the remaining 190 personel are administrative or work at the jail and are not peace officers and not part of the patrol division. So lets say we have 100 deputies available to patrol. That makes our deputies responsible for 8 square miles of territory. Oops, you have three shifts of deputies on the rouster... so if my assumptions were accurate, there would be 33 deputies on duty at a given time. That boosts the territory that our deputies are responsible for to about 25 square miles. Now realistically the distribution of patrols is not so proportionate- but if you take a worst case scenario where a deputy is at the furthest point in their patrol away from a call, and they drive an average of 60 miles an hour to arrive at the call 25 minutes after they were dispatched.

Awesome. Budget cuts? Even better. What's more is that my math is probably too generous. If there was ever a reason to open carry- its a law enforcement budget crisis.
 

CA_Libertarian

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Your math is far too generous. I doubt they'd work 7 days a week. 4x12 shifts would be a stretch, but it could be done. that means you basically have 4 shifts to cover, not 3. So you would really have 25 officers on duty most days.

The simple solution to the budget problem is to stop prosecuting victimless crimes, like drug possession. This would significantly reduce the jail population, and also would waste less time on the patrol side of things. This would work state-wide, but I think it would be great to see individual departments try it out.
 

AyatollahGondola

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Crime's up here too.

just a few days ago I heard a sireeen, then two, then 6, then 12, so I grabbed the video cam, jumped in the truck, and headed towards them. didn't take bit a second or two, because as it turned out, they were headed towards me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozMqMa2BcCs



This turned out to be a robbery of the Starbucks about a block away. Guess what these desperados got for their trouble?

The tip jar......
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/may/21/following-election-sheriff-plans-more-layoffs/
Following election, sheriff plans more layoffs

The enormity of the state budget crisis swiftly set in Wednesday with local officials facing impending layoffs and additional significant budget cuts.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he will be sending layoff notices later this week to 22 Sheriff's Office employees and expects to lay off more after voters struck down five out of six propositions in Tuesday's special election.
 

Task Force 16

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This is all but a prelude to what is in store for the rest of the country.

I feel fortunate that I live in a rural area where serious crimes are almost unheard of. The only LE is the county Sheriffs Office that has been combined with the Linden PD. It's a small force to be sure. I'm able to OC without harrassment from the LEO's. Heck, none of them have even asked if I have a permit for my OC handguns.

Despite the fact that our county has the highest unemplyment in the state, it's still pretty peaceful here. But as the economy worsens, that could change. My hopes are that we can get more folks here to OC dailey in an attempt at keeping it peacefull here as long as possible. If we start losing LEO's due to budget cuts, we may have to take up the slack to keep the peace in our own county andrural communities.

I'm not as worried about locals posing problems as much as I expect the trouble makers to be outsiders.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/aug/19/redding-council-police-make-concessions-or-lose-mo/
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f8"

Redding council to police: make concessions or lose more officers
By Scott Mobley

Wednesday, August 19, 2009




After listening to passionate pleas from police officers and their supporters to spare the force further cuts, a Redding City Council majority late Tuesday indicated no department could be spared the knife as the city prepares to slice spending still further.

Vice Mayor Patrick Jones and council member Mary Stegall expressed frustration that police seemed unwilling to consider further concessions.

"We appreciate the job you do," Jones said. "But we are in a global recession that is unprecedented and our options are running thin. It's time the unions realize we have limited options and concessions going forward are going to be a must."

Stegall, who describes herself as the most pro-union person on the dias, said she was disappointed.

"All of you spoke so well," Stegall said. "But every one of you said, ‘Don't cut us, cut somebody else.’"

Council member Missy McArthur said she supports the police but noted the city has already "bent over backwards" to avoid deep cuts to public safety.

Police officers in other cities have offered up dramatic concessions to save their jobs, Mayor Rick Bosetti said.

Only council member Dick Dickerson seemed mostly sympathetic, saying concessions alone won't close the city's budget gap and any cuts should spare the people wearing the badges.

The discussion came near the end of a marathon meeting that stretched into the wee hours of this morning.

The council took no action on specific cuts, but unanimously approved a budgeting plan that calls for internal loans and money transfers from various pots into the general fund to help plug a looming $8.6 million hole created by spending that continues to outstrip plunging revenue.

“We can’t spend money we don’t have,” City Manager Kurt Starman told the council and the audience, which nearly filled the Council Chambers even as midnight approached and the meeting dragged into its fifth hour.

The internal loans and transfers make up $4.8 million of the amount Redding plans to cut.

To get the rest, the city will lop another $3.8 million, or 5.5 percent from the general fund. This would be the fifth in a series of cuts that have already totaled nearly $10 million since February 2008.

Starman has asked department heads to produce budget cuts up to 10 percent. Officials have yet to finalize a list of specific cuts and won't until September. The council must still discuss and approve any proposed cuts.

The police department has lost 23 positions since 2008 to budget cuts and expired grant funding. Police Chief Peter Hansen has said up to nine officers could be laid off in this next round of cuts.

Over a half dozen officers asked the council late Tuesday to instruct Starman to protect the department from further reductions.

“We work hard to make sure citizens don't see what we see every night,” officer Chris Mills said. “We have been cut to the bone.”

Mills said he has had to make arrests without backup. Officers responding to a gang fight report on the east side Monday evening had to come from Lake Boulevard, and then rush off to the Safeway at Churn Creek and East Cypress, where an armed robbery was underway, he said.

“If we had gotten one more priority call, we would not have been able to respond,” Mills said. “This was a normal Monday night.”
More story at the link...

This inability to be all things to all people and be everywhere at every moment exposes the reality that the police cannot be solely responsible for our safety. As much as officer Mills wants to conceal the fact that crime occurs in a little town like Redding, he is only delaying the inevitibility that our friends and neighbors will come into contact with, or become a victim of crime.

By sheilding us from the crime he encounters every night, he may well protect us on one occasion, but this reliance on the police to protect us is a dangerous path to victimhood- We must take responsibility for our own safety, we must be the deterent, and we must not use 911 as our only recourse in the event any of us should come into harms way.
 

jrwalker

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If there was ever a reason to open carry- its a law enforcement budget crisis.

Be careful open carrying up in the Redding, Anderson and surrounding areas. I was visiting family there a few weeks ago and came across 3 LEO (I was not carrying as my main carry gun is illegal in CA :banghead:) so I decided to inquire about their opinions on UOC.

It did not go well AT ALL. I asked them how they would approach a person open carrying and what their policy is regarding MWAG calls (I had actually planned on UOC when I was visiting b4 I found out my gun is illegal there...). It seemed like the older officer was pretty much leading the show at this point in time but he seemed offended that I had even asked the question and proceeded to tell me that when they get aMWAG call or see someone OC'n,the citizen would be drawn down on and tackled to the ground untillhe found out the gun was unloaded.

Ireplied by asking if his department has ever had a lawsuit filed againstit for something like that because that is assault with a deadly weapon and a violation of that person's rights.

He then threatened to arrest me. I asked him for what? And he responded by saying "I'll find something." I said "Ok. May I please have all three of your business cards?" to which they all hesitated but eventually complied. I then told them that their supervisor would be hearing from me shortly and bid them all a good day.

The older officer (leader) did not sound at all worried about my comments, but the two younger cops definitely did not like the thought of mespeaking to their supervisor.

All in all, just be careful up there. It sounds like the OC movement has not made a significant presence up there yet and LEO are still "in training"
 

ConditionThree

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jrwalker wrote:
It sounds like the OC movement has not made a significant presence up there yet and LEO are still "in training"
PM me with departement specifics.
There's a couple of us in the neighborhood. My police encounter was friendly and I was not detained at gunpoint or handcuffed. I might add that there is not a huge presence of UOC here because many are satisfied with obtaining permission from teh Sheriff's department.

With the economy circling the drain and the anticipated budget cuts looming, there will be more cause to present a hardened profile. Given the circumstances, the CLEO's will have to decide whether they want to occupy their timewith questioning those lawfully carrying a firearm or mitigating real crime.
 

mjones

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jrwalker wrote:
Be careful open carrying up in the Redding, Anderson and surrounding areas. I was visiting family there a few weeks ago and came across 3 LEO (I was not carrying as my main carry gun is illegal in CA :banghead:) so I decided to inquire about their opinions on UOC.

Maybe I missed it; but why is your main carry gun illegal in CA? Threaded Barrel? Magazine attached outside the grip?

Note: the 'CA not unsafe' handgun list has nothingtodo with 'importation for personal use'
 

CA_Libertarian

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jrwalker wrote:
...He then threatened to arrest me. I asked him for what? And he responded by saying "I'll find something." I said "Ok. May I please have all three of your business cards?" to which they all hesitated but eventually complied. I then told them that their supervisor would be hearing from me shortly and bid them all a good day.

The older officer (leader) did not sound at all worried about my comments, but the two younger cops definitely did not like the thought of mespeaking to their supervisor...
I would have been tempted to just laugh at them and say, "you know I could place all three of you under citizen's arrest. What for? Oh, I could find something."

And the younger cops should be worried. I hear they're getting ready to cut more jobs up there. I guess the older cop thinks his seniority is his job security - or maybe he's just got friends in high places.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/sep/03/redding-police-violent-crimes-rise/




Redding police: Violent crimes rise
Assaults increase by 57 cases from last year
By Dylan Darling

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Crime statistics released Wednesday by the Redding Police Department show a spike in violent crime, said the city's police chief.


"I am concerned about the increase in violent crime," said Police Chief Peter Hansen.

In the first six months of this year, there were 337 violent crimes - homicides, rapes, robberies or aggravated assaults - an increase of 30 from the first six months of 2008 and 119 more than the first six months of 2007. While the number of rapes and robberies is down, aggravated assaults are up by 57 cases over the same period last year.

There have been two homicides so far this year, more than the first six months in the past six years. There had been one homicide each in the first six months of 2004 and 2008 and none in the first halves of 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The two homicides in the first half of 2009 were the fatal punching of Adam Martinez, 31, by Lennart Christian Schauman, 30, both of Redding; and the murder of Timothy Lee Alcorn, 48, of Redding, Hansen said.

Schauman threw a punch on April 25 that knocked Martinez to a dance floor; the injury eventually killed him on May 14 after weeks in a coma. District Attorney Jerry Benito announced in July that he was not going to charge Schauman with manslaughter in the case because he didn't think a Shasta County jury would convict him.

Albert Sanchez, 18, John Hadley Thompson, 15, and Jared Cory Voss, 17, all of Redding, are accused of murder, kidnapping and robbery in the April 18 fatal beating of Alcorn. Alcorn was found dead two days later in a wooded area off Masonic Avenue.

The report shows the number of property crimes - burglary, larceny and vehicle theft - to be down. There were 1,423 property crimes in the first six months of this year, compared to 1,465 in the first six months of 2008. In the first half of 2007, there had been 1,370.

Because of the drop in property crimes, the total number of crimes was also down.

Hansen said he is hopeful that the City Council's decision Tuesday to suspend lowering utility late fees to avoid laying off as many as seven police officers will help keep crime rates from rising.

But statistics from the year's final six months will show the result of less room at the Shasta County jail because of budget cuts, Hansen said. In June, the Board of Supervisors reduced the number of inmates kept at the chronically full 381-bed jail by 150 inmates, making drunken drivers, petty thieves and drug users less likely to serve jail time.

"We haven't really had time to assess the impact of the jail closure on the crime rate," Hansen said.

Reporter Dylan Darling can be reached at 225-8266 or ddarling@redding.com.

Like the chief of police, I am concerned about the increase in violent crime in our community. In my situation I have two options to keep and bear and neither of theminclude a loaded firearm when I am not at home. I have California's fastest growing pro-gun community telling me that UOC is undesirable at this time. Which leaves me withpoor man's ccw- a firearm locked in a secure case.

With a real concern about my safety in a community that is losing police/sheriff's deputies and an increase in criminals roaming around, I will likely be accused of valuing my freedom and security*over the the wishes of others to keep a legislative low profile if I continue to be armed.

Am I to leave my pistol at home?

* Im sure others will translate that to mean my desire to be an attention whore.
 

AyatollahGondola

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I have California's fastest growing pro-gun community telling me that UOC is undesirable at this time
So does pro-gun always mean pro-self defense or pro second amendment? In my world it doesn't. A pro gunner can be a target shooter only, or a hunter or collectoronly who doesn't want to risk their "privilidge" over something they might feel irrelevant now. In other words, I don't think that all gun owners are equal in mindset enough to be included in one community. You may be succumbing to some influences from a group that isn't even your peers. Youmightcompare this to gold owners who stash it in the safe and take it out for stroking every now and again, but they would never even consider trading with it on a day-to-day basis. You on the other hand, are not embarrassed or afraid to use your gold (gun) as it was meant to be.
* Im sure others will translate that to mean my desire to be an attention whore.
Certainly not. Whores do it for the money. At most, you may translate that into an attention slut, but if that were the case you'd have found so many other avenues to draw it that don't carry criminal penalties.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/dec/16/bank-standoff-tests-shrunken-sheriffs-ranks/
Remember June, when Shasta County budget cuts forced the sheriff to lay off nearly 20 employees, turn prisoners out of one floor of the jail and lock up the Burney substation? Those were the good old days.

That lean-year budget, which Sheriff Tom Bosenko argued would imperil the public's safety during an unsuccessful lobbying drive against the cuts, has only grown worse as retail sales and the taxes they generate to support county law enforcement have collapsed.

In outlining the effects of a further half-million dollars in Sheriff's Office budget cuts that the Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday morning, Tom Bosenko stressed that his department had at least avoided further layoffs.

He added, however, that ever-slimmer resources would be stretched to the breaking point in the case of a fire, flood, homicide or similar emergency that demanded an all-out mobilization.

That's not a hypothetical fear. Less than two hours later, a robber held up the U.S. Bank branch in Burney. He shot and injured one customer, took several bank employees hostage, and fired multiple rounds at officers surrounding the bank in a small-town standoff that lasted through most of the afternoon.

That's the nature of emergency services. Holy heck can break loose at any moment.

As things go, the Burney robbery didn't end as badly as it might have. After failed attempts to negotiate, deputies eventually shot and arrested the suspect, who was hospitalized Tuesday evening. No customers, employees or officers were killed despite all the gunfire, which is a small miracle.

And the massive response - from the Sheriff's Office, the Redding Police Department and the California Highway Patrol - shows that even with fewer resources, local law enforcement can round up an impressive posse.

Still, the events are a stark reminder about why we need a healthy Sheriff's Office, which the county is struggling to maintain.

Bosenko conceded Tuesday that, hard as he tried to fight the earlier round of budget cuts, they were the right decision in the face of the county's grim finances. And they were.

But if the public has to endure the effects of many more such wise decisions, we'll be in dire shape.

Our view: The county is struggling to preserve law enforcement as taxes vanish - and Tuesday's robbery in Burney is a stark reminder of the stakes

This editorial is further evidence that police cannot be the amazing superheroes many expect them to be. They are neither omnipresent, nor faster than a speeding bullet. While funding is helpful in paying employees, the fact of the matter is the Sheriff doesn't need financial support as much as he needs the support of the community.

Even with 3200 concealedlicense holders in the county, there was no deterrentfor someone to walk into a bank, seize hostages, and shoot up the joint. With an unincorporated village like Burney, the Peoplemust assert themselves and show strength when the Sheriff's department cannot.

If just 1% of the men in Burney openly carried, there would be about 17 armed deterrents- 17 reasons why criminals shouldpass up the town altogether...

Yet, the hand wringing is over the insufficiencies of the socialized fundingfor thepolice.

If the chief constable wanted, he could remedy the GFSZ moot and issue licenses to carry loaded and exposed in these outlying communities. But we know where thatends- don't we?



This is post #1000.
 

ConditionThree

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http://www.redding.com/news/2009/dec/30/shasta-county-deputies-correctional-officers-to/?partner=popular


Shasta County deputies, correctional officers asked to take 9 percent pay cut
By Ryan Sabalow

Wednesday, December 30, 2009




Shasta County sheriff's deputies and jail correctional officers may soon take a 9 percent pay cut to start paying their share of retirement benefits, an expense the county has paid for at least two decades.

New hires also would have to wait an additional five years before being able to retire with full retirement benefits, according to drafts of employment contracts provided this week to the Record Searchlight by the Deputy Sheriff's Association.

Representatives from the union, which includes about 150 deputies, district attorney's investigators and jail guards, say the proposed cuts are inequitable, and they're worried that the Shasta County supervisors might unilaterally adopt the new contracts without the union's approval.

"We know the economic situation right now. We know we're lucky to have jobs. We know that," said Jon Ruiz, a sheriff's deputy who negotiates for his peers. "But our issue is there isn't fairness across the board."

But Larry Lees, the county's chief administrative officer, said Tuesday that the concessions are necessary to keep from laying off more deputies and jail guards.

Shasta County faces a budget gap of $7.5 million.

The proposed contracts are fair, and other unions will soon be asked to make similar concessions, Lees said.

"The whole reason we're doing this is trying to save jobs," Lees said. "It's a not a matter of us saying, 'We don't like you' or 'We want to spend it somewhere else.' The money's just not there."

Lees said he wants to avoid the possibility of the supervisors unilaterally adopting the contract without the union's approval, something that can happen if a union declines an employer's "last, best and final" offer.

"I would rather be in a position where we agree on something," Lees said.

A decision could be reached as early as the supervisors' Tuesday board meeting, Lees said.

But union representative Steve Allen said Monday that the county is already well on its way to adopting the proposal. He notes that drafts of the resolution approving the contracts already have been written.

"They've got this railroad going full steam," Allen said.

Under the proposed contracts, the deputies, investigators and corrections officers would have to pay all 9 percent of their "member contribution" of their California Public Employees' Retirement System pensions.

The county currently pays that share of their retirement as well as the county's portion, about 25 percent of the deputies' pay, Lees said.

The 9 percent cuts would translate to about a $1 million a year in savings, Lees said.

Allen said the county has been paying the "member contribution" since the 1980s.

The proposal also changes the ages at which new deputies and corrections officers would be able to retire and receive pensions.

Currently, deputies and investigators are subject a 3 percent at 50 formula, and corrections officers fall under a 2 percent at 50 pension plan.

This means employees may retire at 50 with a pension equal to three percent of their highest salary multiplied by the number of years they worked.

Currently, corrections officers retiring after 30 years would be paid pensions equal to 60 percent of their top pay, while deputies retiring after 30 years on the job would be paid pensions equal to 90 percent of their highest salaries.

Those numbers wouldn't change for current employees, but, under the county's proposal, newly hired jail guards, investigators and deputies would have to wait until they were 55 before retiring.

Ruiz and Allen say they're frustrated that they've been asked to make such cuts when other unions haven't.

Lees said they're the only group being asked to approve cuts now because they're the only union whose contract is up for negotiation.

He noted that earlier this month the county's probation officers, represented by the Professional Peace Officers Association, voluntarily voted to cut their pay by 6 percent to share their CalPERS cost.

The probation officers' concessions came mid-contract, when there were no negotiations taking place.

Ruiz and Allen also say it's unfair that county supervisors voted to cut board members' pay by only 5 percent, yet deputies, investigators and guards are asked to take a 9 percent slice out of their checks.

But Lees said it's likely Shasta County's supervisors will vote to cut their own pay again.

He declined to say how much that might be.

Ive been noticing that there has been a spike in reports of burglary and fraud--- in the county south of here three bozoes burglarized a closed mini mart for three 40 oz beers and got caught hitting another business nearby. They netted themselves $70,000 bail over $9.00 in beer. Another idiot started cutting checks on an account with no money in it. He tallied up $14,000 in purchases before he was caught...

So whats this got to do with the story quoted above?

Well, ifremaining deputies (the ones that get to keep their jobs at lower pay) are d!cking around with the twits that are taking things that dont belong to them - the likelihood that something really bad,like the Burney bank shooting, goes up like a roman candle.

If our law enforcement suffers more cuts- which I am certain they will - the People of Shasta County will have to harden their homes, cars, and take up their individual responsibility to be the deterent to crime.
 
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