We “will not be blackmailed, bullied, or used as muscle,” RivCo Sheriff says of Governor’s mandates
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — In a move joining other California law enforcement agencies across the state, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco yesterday announced his deputies would not be enforcing California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recently updated stay-at-home orders, curfews, and other mandates regarding the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis and pandemic.
Calling the Governor’s orders “hypocritical”, “dictatorial”, and “flat out ridiculous”, Bianco explained, “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will not be blackmailed, bullied, or used as muscle against Riverside County residents in the enforcement of” the Governor’s orders.
Those orders included a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and “Limited Stay at Home Order”, as well as heavy restrictions on upcoming holiday and other social gatherings – even those happening inside private residences.
Set to begin last Saturday, Nov. 21 and last for one month before being reviewed, Newsom’s most recent mandates were for all California counties in the purple tier, and as of the day of his announcement, would affect residents in 41 of the state’s 58 counties – more than 94 percent of the state’s population.
In spite of his strongly worded statement, the Sheriff did strongly suggest residents to respect and follow the mandates as they have been issued, including wearing masks and social distancing.
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Sheriff Bianco’s statement yesterday echoed the sentiments of many California law enforcement agencies, such as Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini and Redding Police Chief Bill Schueller – who represent the two largest law enforcement agencies based within Shasta County – and last week issued similar public statements indicating that they and their departments would not be enforcing the Governor’s most recent orders.
“We have all recently learned of the new regional approach to combating COVID-19 and the pending closure and stay-at-home orders from our Governor,” Bianco said in a video released to social media, (which can be viewed in both English and Spanish below.) “We are also told that there was a potential he would be withholding federal and state funding from counties who did not enforce the orders.”
“Ironically, it wasn’t that long ago our same Governor loudly and publicly argued how wrong it was for the President of the United States to withhold federal funding from states not complying with federal laws,” Bianco continued.
Calling the Governor’s orders “hypocritical”, “dictatorial”, and “flat out ridiculous”, Bianco yesterday announced, “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will not be blackmailed, bullied, or used as muscle against Riverside County residents in the enforcement of” the Governor’s orders.
Bianco also pointed out the vast disparity between “(the Governor’s) and others personal behavior – with a, ‘Do as I say, not as I do,’ attitude.”
“The dictatorial attitude toward California residents while dining in luxury, traveling, keeping his business open, and sending his kids to in-person private schools is very telling about his attitude toward California residents, his feelings about the virus, and it is extremely hypocritical,” the Sheriff went on to say; adding, “These closures and stay at home orders are flat out ridiculous.”
While explaining that “the metrics used for closures are unbelievably faulty and are not representative of true numbers,” Bianco called the Governor’s orders “disastrous for Riverside County”; adding, “When the medical field is so split about this virus, it might be time to employ a little common sense.”
The Sheriff also said that threatening to withhold federal and state funding from counties that refuse to enforce the orders, and “keeping money and support from our hospitals who are struggling with normal seasonal increases in patients, coupled with COVID-19 patients” is “irresponsible.”
Saying in-part, “It appears part of the new goal … is to turn public opinion against California sheriffs,” Bianco explained, “(Newsom) is expecting us to arrest anyone violating these orders, cite them and take their money, close their businesses, make them stay in there homes, and take away their civil liberties, or he will punish all of us.”
“Leaders do not threaten, attempt to intimidate, or cause fear; bullies do,” said Bianco.
While Bianco made clear that his department would not be enforcing the Governor’s latest orders and mandates, he did say, “As has been our position from the beginning of this pandemic, the Sheriffs Department is asking and expecting Riverside County residents to act responsibly and do what they can to protect themselves and their family from contracting the virus.”
SEE RELATED: ShasCo Sheriff, Redding PD Chief say they “will not be enforcing” recent COVID-19 mandates
Sheriff Bianco’s release followed on the heels of similar, Nov. 20 statements from both Shasta County Sheriff Magrini and Redding PD Chief Schueller, who have both gone on the record publicly denouncing the Governor’s orders; while citing “Constitutional and other concerns” related to what many polled by RCNS/SCNS consider to be impossible and overly-restrictive mandates.
“The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office will not be enforcing the compliance of any health or emergency orders related to curfews, stay at home orders, Thanksgiving or other social gatherings, inside or outside the home, maximum occupancy, or mask mandates within the private or business communities,” Sheriff Magrini explained last week.
“The Sheriff’s Office will continue to appropriately respond to incidents involving criminal activity or events, which pose a potential impact to public or personal safety within our communities,” Magrini continued.
Redding PD Chief Schueller announced a similar stance, writing in a social media post from his department, “The Redding Police Department does not have adequate resources to proactively go to homes and businesses to determine if they are in violation of this curfew order, nor can we respond to calls for service from the public requesting enforcement of this order.”
“I have concerns about the spread of Covid-19 in our community and encourage everyone to follow public health guidelines, but this is a public health issue and not a criminal one,” Schueller went on to say; adding, “A curfew order, such as the one issued, may have significant Constitutional implications and enforcement would only result in negative outcomes with the community we are here to serve.”
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Several recent RCNS and SCNS polls have indicated that residents throughout Riverside and Shasta counties overwhelmingly agree with their local law enforcement agency’s refusals to enforce the Governor’s orders and largely disagree with the State’s ongoing restrictions. However, a large majority also responded that individuals should follow the State’s mandates and guidelines, regardless of whether or not their local law enforcement agencies were going to enforce them.
“I totally agree with their decisions,” Anderson resident Annette Ramsey said in response to one recent RCNS/SCNS poll regarding the issue. “The citizens should still have our freedom to choose if and when we want to go out.”
“It is our right, we know the risks and know how to protect ourselves,” said Ramsey.
“Yes, I totally agree,” Shasta County resident Betty Wilson said of the recent decision; saying, “Gov. Newsom does not abide by his own rules and neither do his friends and business associates. Why should we?”
However, others polled showed support for the Governor’s mandates and restrictions, such as Anderson resident Heather Getzlaff, who strongly disagreed with the recent announcements made by law enforcement agencies that they would not be enforcing the Governor’s mandates.
“This is why there are sooooo many cases blowing this place up, (because) no one wants to enforce anything here!” Getzlaff angrily wrote to RCNS/SCNS.
Saying she and her children have underlying health conditions, Getzlaff explained, “I would love to go back to my job (because) I’m at my wits end financially, but with all the restaurants here locally not following the mandates and not doing anything at all as far as wearing masks, sanitizing anything or distancing customers … people are running around this place not giving 2 shits about anyone around them.”
“We have COVID cases skyrocketing and now the hospitals are starting to fill up,” Getzlaff continued.
Another to “very strongly disagree” with the recent announcements was Burney resident, Samantha Reece.
“Their mission is ‘To Protect and Serve’. Not ignore governor’s orders that are in place to protect EVERYONE,” Reece wrote.
“Look at the numbers,” Reece continued. “Exponential cases, just as we were warned there would be. Hospitals are filling up. Soon they will be overwhelmed, all because of arrogance and ignorance.”
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While many recent RCNS and SCNS poll respondents were strongly for or against the issues at hand, others, such as Val Rusyn, were on the fence and acknowledged valid arguing points for both sides of the debate.
“With all the cases we have and 43 deaths so far we need to do something. If people can’t agree to wear a mask we have no place left to go but up in cases,” Rusyn explained while adding, “That being said, I don’t see how (law enforcement agencies) can enforce it.”
“We all need to be on the same page about this or more will be dying,” said Rusyn.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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