Residents of a rural California county are relying on their firearms for defense in light of severe staffing shortages in the local sheriff's office
A few things caught my eye with this article. First off if the Police could be there, they would be there. What's bad is, this isn't a time/distance thing. It's a "no one is coming" thing.In November, the sheriff’s office canceled daytime patrols altogether, citing a "catastrophic staffing shortage" due to a "drastic rise in attrition, coupled with the inability to present enticing recruitment efforts."
(I didn't know Grady Judd was originally from Cali )
"I moved to this county in 1978, and the first question I asked was, ‘What kind of service do you have in the rural areas?’" County Supervisor Bill Moule told CalMatters in December. "The sheriff was kinda this big guy, been sheriff a long time. He looked at me and said, ‘Son, get yourself a shotgun and a dog.’ It’s no different today than it was in 1978."
(Always carry, just sayin...)
Violent crime in the county has also reportedly been on the rise in recent years, with residents pointing to a handful of examples. Thornton cited an incident last year when a man allegedly called the homeowners’ association and threatened to kill everyone there, but the sheriff’s office could not respond.
(I knew this place rang a bell. This was horrible.)
In 2017, Rancho Tehama was the scene of a series of shootings, including at an elementary school, carried out over two days by one gunman who ultimately committed suicide. The shootings left five people dead and 14 others injured. The incident still haunts many residents.
The sheriff’s office had reported to the gunman’s home 21 times before committing the carnage, local media reported at the time. Some residents even filed lawsuits against the sheriff’s office, arguing they were not adequately protected from the gunman.
Rural California community left on its own as police staffing shortage brings end to daytime patrols
A sheriff's office in rural northern California cut daytime patrol over severe staffing issues, with residents reporting "you’re on your own" in Tehama County.
www.foxnews.com