The $10.6 million federal windfall is an opportunity for the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors to step up and appropriately fund the Sheriff’s Department that is dangerously understaffed. Serious crime is up a whopping 23 percent in just the past 6 months in part because of 7 patrol vacancies due to compensation lagging all other departments in the region. These vacancies make it impossible for deputies to properly patrol the county on a regular basis. This county’s support of law enforcement makes it an attractive place to serve especially with the current anti-police movement in other jurisdictions. The Supervisors must use a portion of these federal monies to bring the entire Sherriff’s Department up to at least average to give us a fighting chance of attracting quality officers to serve and protect here. This Tuesday at one-thirty you can let your Supervisor know that you support law enforcement and a safe community.
