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Editor-
I seriously doubt that anyone, no matter what their political views want to see public safety failing, that simply isn’t the case. We all want the same things, absent the rare true anarchist we all want to have safe families homes, and communities. The question is how we get there. We have reached a time when academia is weighing in on things they have studied or theories that have been written by extremely educated people who truly want to make a difference. This is all well and good however, there are other experts in these fields who must be consulted as well. The experts who serve on the front lines every day. Without their input, the best-made plans will fail.
I have spent a lot of time swinging a hammer over the years. I have seen many carpenters lock horns with architects and engineers who draw plans that look good on paper however are completely impossible to build. This happens because one side doesn’t realize what the other must do in order to complete their task. A friend of mine is a civil engineer and while he was attending university, his father made him work summers with him building houses. His father made clear his thoughts that no engineer should receive his license and stamp until he knew what it took to build things. What looks good on paper at times is completely impossible I the real world.
Strangely it appears the architects of laws in our state aren’t listening to the people on the front lines. Fire, EMS, Behavioral Health, and Law enforcement personnel all should have a say in this however it appears no one in state government wants to hear things aren’t working. If I was building an aircraft midflight, as our state often does, I think I would like to know if the tail rudder was falling off.
There was a time when we all worked together. Lawmakers worked with each other across the aisle and our representatives would serve the public. State governors would consult with Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and truly solicit their input on things that would affect the public. That is no longer happening in California. Our governor and many state leaders seem to have become deaf to us, actually worse than deaf, they simply refuse to meet with anyone who has an opposing opinion or looks at legislation with any critical thinking. This has to change.
I recently read a statistic that showed More than 150 people die every day in the United States from drug overdose. Overall life expectancy in the U.S. has declined for three years in a row largely due to the opioid epidemic. This article also indicated overdoses kill more Americans than car crashes or gun violence. This loss of life is roughly equal to a Boeing 727 crash where all passengers were lost, every day of the year. In Mendocino County, we continue to see the largest percentage of our accidental deaths are due to overdose. Drug abuse and overdose are issues that destroy entire families. These also lead to property crime and violence. Legislators have attempted to move the focus of these problems from our courts to public health. My question to the public is, does it look like this is working?
Many folks have fallen under the spell many folks who are committing crimes are victims. Sorry, that theory doesn’t hold much water. My father often preached to my siblings and I about the things we would truly be victims of. Our laziness and our foolishness would be the two bullies in our lives that we should avoid at all costs. Is anyone preaching this any longer?
Over the past several years, many laws were written that would enhance the penalties for narcotics, thefts, property crimes, and violent crimes, nearly all were shot down by legislators, primarily in the public safety committees. Either this has to stop or someone needs to come up with a magic cure. Losing a 727 full of people every day can’t be the direction we continue.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall
I enjoy hearing our sheriff’s thoughts and opinions regularly. It would be nice if other elected officials did this in a similar way.
Great carpenter analogy. It’s food for thought, but do you have any ideas for solutions?
Lol. McGee you love the sweet sugar in the rhetoric of the Koolaid. Gavin Newsom has dedicated a billion dollars in funding to combat this issue in California and especially for rural communities. https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Fentanyl-Opioids-Glossy-Plan_3.20.23.pdf
This includes cracking down on the law for fentanyl distributors.
It is Matt Kendall’s responsibility to implement solvencies to stop drugs from flooding the streets. The question he has continued to fail to address, like many…what are the plans of solvency that he has done or is planning to do in the community to combat these issues with his department?
Maybe they are not listening because you are not doing anything to hold weight beyond sending them to jail (which I agree), people take you serious when you have statistics and actions towards solvency.
If not, then you’re just complaining without doing the work, which is a form of laziness.
I was instantly offended by your slant towards anarchists, but I digress.
How nice that you had parents that taught you stuff. My did drugs around me, endangered me and taught me I was annoying and a burden. So no, they weren’t teaching me about the nuances of ‘all talk and no work’ theory. I had to learn very slowly over my whole life that I am not a burden, that I matter, that my life matters and most importantly that I don’t have to escape my life with drugs just cause my parents did. But not everyone can just figure that out in mid life, some drug raised people miss that boat. Maybe they’re not victims, no one seems to approve of that word. I dare you to look up the etymology of the word victim though, and you might see it means sacrifice. What are we then? Waste? This is nihilism. We are people, and the people of this county have the highest chance in our state of getting addicted. Why?
Because unless you have the family support to get to a place of financial security in this county, than you will just struggle, which leads to stress and depression which leads to escaping through any addiction, electronic addictions included.
Our own police officers struggle with addictions. Doctors, teachers, lawyers too. So I think the question is better posed as
“How does lack of mental and emotional health awareness contribute to the average, functioning substance user becoming a non functional user.”
Basically how bad to things have to get psychologically before someone can’t live in their life sober anymore? For some of us our life is shit from when we were born and we are born escaping. For others the shit hits the fan later in life, after a molestation, a divorce, maybe a natural disaster or a pandemic, loosing a job. Maybe there is nothing to do but work fast food in your town and that makes you sad so you drink at night.
Can you really not understand that? Is that really a leap? This is our society.
We need parks and walkways and schools and social events, clean public restrooms, healthy food and doctors who care. It’s not even rocket science.
Well said
Dave Chapelle said it best, “people say people have mental illnesses, maybe their environment is a little sick.” I like how Sheriff Matt Kendall writes this long letter with riddles and metaphors without saying what he has done to combat the high use of fentanyl, meth, and cocaine in this town. Again Matt Kendall looks at the National problem with opioids but what is the data for how opioids are affecting Mendocino County?
Again No solutions.
Like Garlic Bread and Butter said, the solutions are events, activities, and doctors. I take it a step further to imply, there are a lack of substance abuse counselors and mental health practitioners, why? It is usually because most practitioners don’t want to move to Mendocino County, especially if they have families who want their children to go to great schools to go to the best colleges.
They want to move to areas where there are four year colleges and universities nearby.
They may want to move into a condo or townhome instead of older homes, there are limited housing for market rate instead of low-income for practitioners to help the community. There are very limited after school programs and places for children to play. There are a lack of job industries that are competitive in pay for residents, who can find a meaningful career without an education.
There are a lack of substance use groups that help mentor and council individuals and families, the current programs are overworked with high caseloads like many healthcare practitioners in the county.
Furthermore, instead of addressing these issues your department sends people with SUDs and mental health to jail.
Which I believe makes up the majority of the population you arrest.
Matt Kendall sounds again this sounds like more fluff, there are many complexities to this issue, more than good words and less actions towards solvency. Instead, you continue to point the finger at not being heard by legislators. Focus on the four fingers pointing back to you, that you can change.
You get a one clap for writing.
Common sense. I have profound sympathy for those who resort to drugs to alleviate physical or mental pain. But I also know people who have overcome this pain and a crappy childhood to become functioning and often stellar adults. Between an addict who refuses help and an innocent person who is victimized by the addict’s behavior, my choice is pretty clear.
As the great Thomas Sowell once said, “there are no solutions only trade offs” and in the case we are seeing the trade off for the crackdown on oxycontin and other pharma opiates. Arguable we where better off when at least people knew what they were getting. We need to make that final leap and just give addicts a regulated dose. It would be cheaper for everyone
I agree with the sheriff. The arrogance and cluelessness of lawmakers and politicians have led to a steady decline in every facet of life in our state and our country.
I work in the medical field and I am appalled by how pervasive the practice of prescribing opioids for pain has become. I grew up in Northern Europe where doctors refrain from overmedicating their patients. Pain is part of life just like pleasure is. Handing out opioids for every tooth extraction, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and other common ailments is not a responsible medical practice.
While acknowledging and treating addiction as a disease is necessary, I don’t believe in coddling adults by always excusing their poor choices due to childhood trauma or miserable circumstances. Vast majority of people had traumatic experiences in their youth. 90% of the population struggle with financial, marital, work, health or other problems. We have become a nation of self-centered people. If all you think is your pain and how bad your life is, you’re unlikely to improve your circumstances. This is the best place to live on earth despite all the problems we have. Most Americans don’t realize what life is like in a war zone, a third world county, under a regime without freedom of speech or access to education. Millions die from hunger around the world while we give free food to anyone in need in Mendocino County. We live in a beautiful state with the freedom to work hard, aim higher, live healthy, serve and help others less fortunate than ourselves.
We need to fix our education and healthcare systems, but we also need to restore law and order, and prosecute criminals.
I agree in part and disagree in part. America compared to many other countries is a good place to live for some individuals.
I would not speak for all people of color but if there was more equity and justice America would be Heaven.
The over medication of opioids is a large issue that has impacted America drastically because of the greed from pharmaceutical companies pumping people with addictive drugs.
Pain is a part of healing both physically and metaphorically and yes, many Americans are sensitive than other countries with war problems and the question I would like to try to understand is why?
Education systems have needed to be fixed since the advent of America, but then again human trafficking and murdering human beings for the acquisition of land in several countries was considered legal.
Fixing healthcare systems requires oversight of healthcare practitioners, which is the reason the opioid crisis came about in the first place.
Restoring law requires the effort of the counties to address solvencies and request funding to create a Task Force to implement action. What laws are needing to be changed for criminals who are dealing and manufacturing illegal opioids in the street? Health and Safety Code Section 11351 prohibits the possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of selling them. Which is a felony charge.
Health and Safety Code Section 11352 prohibits the sale or transportation of controlled substance in California.
Federal laws are also implemented that range from 5 to life in prison based on the Federal Drug Classification Schedule, for drug trafficking across state lines, including Mexico.
So what is Matt Kendall trying to say that he has complained to legislators about drug prosecutions?
Lord, in the Dawn of having an entire library in your hands, so many people fail to read and practice critical thinking skills…
It’s obvious our governor and law makers over in Sacramento have a self serving agenda that doesn’t align with our interest. They are systematically dismantling society right before our eyes in the name of equity and under the broad umbrella of global warming. The latter being the perfect issue to cover any nefarious agenda they might have. Under the climate crisis they can kill livestock and the small farmer to have a tighter control over our food supply and dictate what gmo’s the corporations decide to feed us. Under global warming they can limit our ability to move about the country and our ability to warm our homes by taking away our fossil fuels. These solutions don’t do one thing to prevent climate change what It does is tighten there grip and control of our very lives. The outcome is us eating what ever garbage they want to feed us , move us all into 15 min cities , and limit our ability to travel which makes the population more manageable. It is sad when the fear mongers are afraid that’s when they resort to an all means necessary mentality. Obviously these new policies have people dying as a result any logical person can see that you just need to ask yourself are you going to give them consent to create this future for you or are you going to do something to change it. I’m glad to know that our sheriff isnt backing this agenda . We need to do what’s best for our people in Mendocino County and not abide by these draconian policies and start severing our needs for state and federal need in any of our life sustaining systems. It’s time for our county to go totally off the grid if we care about our county and people.
Is that not what Mendocino County is currently doing, separating from the state and federal government. That is called sovereignty and that sounds similar to the thriller dystopian novels and films like Hand Maiden’s Tale, Hunger Games, and so many others.
If this is the plan, please let me know and I will gladly exit. I am not for going against the State and Federal government like some vigilante town from the 1800s, now in the 21st century.
Yes, America is a beautiful place with many opportunities. However, comparing apples to steak is not reasonable especially considering the fact that freedom of speech is legal but does not include the consequences that you are not aware of nor do you understand the complexities of (considering your final statement).
Can you list the policies, the bills that you are referring to?
Furthermore can you list the work that Matt Kendall has been doing to address it besides complaining to State legislators…I’ll wait.
You want to crack down on opioids, basic critical thinking skills would start with answering (who, where, and how). Who is bringing in the drugs? Where is it coming from? How is it sold? Where it’s being stored to be sold?
That is how you find the criminals involved in the production and pumping this poison in the community.
Furthermore, what is the county’s plan to find these criminal distributors and dealers? Who will also need to be involved to assist with the Task Force on Opioids (including other divisions and departments), what funding can be requested to pay for funding the Task Force?
To put it simply, what has Matt Kendall done to crack down the war on opioids?
I sure hope you’re not writing your drivel on company time/a computer paid for by taxpayers
Do you proofread this crap? Such a whiner. Also food for any decent lawyer that needs to demonstrate prejudice on the part of you or your department. I reckon you might be the silliest Law Enforcement Officer since Sherriff Joe in Arizona.
How about writing about Ukiah PD and their rapey at gunpoint employee that had meth in his locker and the deal he got from Eyster. Your opinions don’t mean shit until you address that.
You are an utter clown. Put Kevin Murray in jail and make Eyster his cellmate
Tend your own house, Sheriff, or at least admit that the utter corruption of Mendocino Law enforcement and the Courts under Eyster are also to blame. Kevin Murray raping in uniform at gunpoint on multiple occasions, likely high on meth he stole.
True