Here we are in 2023 and we are working our way into the new plans for the year. We are working to continue programs that are working well in our communities, while making new plans to deal with the problems which continue to exist.
The recent slaying of Riverside County Deputy Isaiah Cordero was a terrible and senseless tragedy. I am afraid we are seeing these events much too frequently. My mind immediately went back to the kidnap and attempted murder we saw in 2020 in which our deputies were nearly ambushed by well-armed suspects.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall (Contributed photo)
The reason we were able to take all three suspects into custody with no loss of life was because of our multi agency SWAT team. This team is continuing to train and keep their skills sharp. We can't control what is presented to us, however we can control our responses. The proper tools and training allow us to have a measured response, which is what our communities demand and deserve from those serving.
We have had some good impacts made into the illegal marijuana cultivations and we will continue to investigate these crimes with the same focus and enforcement goals as we have had for the past several years. As we saw a downturn in illegal cultivation sites, we saw a downturn in violence. This will continue to be an uphill battle until such time we truly get our arms around the problem and the voices in our rural counties are heard at the state and federal levels. Once we get this issue sorted out I am afraid we will still have several years of cleanup to complete and I am uncertain who will be carrying that load.
We are hiring personnel as Sheriff's Services Technicians to assist in several aspects mostly data entry and completing some of the newly mandated reporting which is taking our deputies off patrol for a good portion of their shifts. This should allow more patrol time in the areas which we serve.
We are continuing to see a rise in the dumping of trash, household furnishings, appliances etc. along our county roads. We can't have this continue. Mendocino County is one of the most beautiful places on earth and we can't allow it to be trashed.
Mail theft, theft of packages delivered to homes and crimes which affect our quality of life are also continuing to rise. We are working on solutions as we have in the past with the high intensity surveillance of problem areas. I am certain we will see results and reductions in these crimes.
Fentanyl is plaguing the United States and we are no exception. We will continue to battle this with the limited tools which have been left for us to use. We will have to take a stand and tell our state representatives the recent legislation is killing people. We have to stand together on this or our voices will not be heard.
I am not only the Sheriff however also the Coroner for Mendocino County. Therefore I see the Coroner's Investigations and I have become increasingly concerned about the issues we are facing with mental health and drug addictions. Suicide and overdose are preventable, and we must start working further upstream to stop these problems.
The dual response team has been a great help with mental health, however the issues surrounding addictions are continuing.Currently the approach to drug usage has been the issuing and administering of NARCAN. Narcan is a bandage and doesn't stop the problem, only the symptoms. We have to come back to a realistic approach combining education with enforcement. Personal responsibility will be the only thing which causes this problem to end. Education and enforcement have been the only things we see that help create personal responsibility.
With the support of our communities I am confident that we will make headway on many of the issues that we are currently facing. Thank you for continuing to support the men and women serving all of us at the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
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