Sheriff Kuntz Town Hall - Sheriff Dept in need of public support

With a budget that has plummeted from 16 million per year to 8 million per year and an onslaught of AB 109 inmates foisted upon the Sheriff Dept, Sheriff Gary Kuntz made a public plea at the Copperopolis Town Hall held June 7, 2012, for citizens to raise their voices. "Its your tax dollars, you need to tell the board how you want it spent."

Though the County receives a set amount of funding for the AB109 inmates, the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) committee deemed that the lion's share of the funding from the state would go towards treatment and rehabilitation. It was mentioned that the 'deck was stacked' against law enforcement when the AB109 funding funneled into the county, the make up of the CCP committee appeared to be the reasoning for the statement. The CCP committee is comprised of the Sheriff, Chief of Police, DA, Public Defender, Presiding Judge, Probation Department, and Behavioral Health. According to Kuntz the only votes in favor of funneling enough money from the state allotment for law enforcement was from DA Yook, Angels Camp Chief of Police and himself.





According to Kuntz the original draft of the breakdown of funds for AB109 included gift cards for released inmates, a three day notice by law enforcement before a parolees home could be searched, and a 30 day window of what was referred to as a 'get of jail free' period where a parolee could not be arrested for any crime committed. In an attempt to "get rid of the ridiculous ideas in the drafts" Kuntz said he had to settle for the current funding distribution, which allots a percentage of the funding to cover the cost of one deputy and a small percentage of the actual jail costs for the bodies of the AB109 fall out.Currently Calaveras County has had 25 parolees released on AB109 returned to Calaveras County and more returned from other areas, the Bay area, etc. According to Capt. Macedo "we had to fight for" the funding. While the Sheriff Department, in the final draft, did receive funding for one Deputy, their budget was subsequently reduced by approximately the same amount.


With cuts to manpower, cuts to response times were imminent. According to Captain Macedo response times to calls are approximately 41 minutes. "We warned the Board of Supervisors this would happen. We played them 911 dispatch tapes of people screaming waiting for a Deputy to arrive. We were accused of trying to use scare tactics. Its not scare tactics, its reality." Said Macedo in reference to his presentation to the BOS when they were slashing and cutting the Sheriff Department budget, costing 4 deputy positions.

The current resident Deputy, Wayne Newnam, though a resident of Copper and therefore more readily available during certain times, has a beat area from the County line on Hwy 4 up to Valecito, across to Glory Hole and back over to Fricot City Road. Also including a large portion of Poole Station Road. One Deputy on that beat.
 
While the funds to be dispersed are slated under legislative guidelines to supplement certain specified public safety budgets, such as those of the police, sheriffs, and district attorneys the disbursement of funds is as follows:
Probation
Job Connection
Day Reporting Center
Behavioral Health
Sheriff Department

Chief of Probation Teri Hall stated that the job connection does not fall under the probation department umbrella and is set up to help those on probation learn how to create a resume, apply for a job and search for employment "to give them the tools to get a job." The day reporting center, which does fall under the probation umbrella is a site where a probationer can receive "life skills training" from agencies within Calaveras County dealing with substance abuse, domestic abuse, victims services, first 5, job connection, adult literacy and office of education. "It is a community treatment team. A large percent of offenders will be mandated to spend up to 12 hours per week at the day reporting center..saturated with services. Completing 200 hours of counseling/treatment" upon conclusion of their probation in an effort to "change their behavior." Hall further stated that there "are currently 60 people in the program." The percentage of those from AB109 was not clear as "some attend voluntarily."




In closing Kuntz implored the crowd to ask those running for District 4 Supervisor their stand on public safety in Calaveras County.

The following is from the California Constitution.

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 13  TAXATION


SEC. 35.  (a) The people of the State of California find and declare
all of the following:
   (1) Public safety services are critically important to the
security and well-being of the State's citizens and to the growth and
revitalization of the State's economic base.
   (2) The protection of the public safety is the first
responsibility of local government and local officials have an
obligation to give priority to the provision of adequate public
safety services.