From a public safety perspective, we find
ourselves in a changing and challenging time. As we enter 2017, we find
California to have undergone a “sea change” in the area of criminal
law: in 2011 AB109 was enacted shifting traditional state prison
responsibilities to our counties; in 2014 Proposition 47 converted many
traditional felonies – primarily involving drug and theft offenses - to
misdemeanors; this past year saw Proposition 57 pass allowing for the
potential early release of many felons convicted of serious crimes. At a
local level we continue to wrestle with methamphetamine and
prescription drug crimes as well as recognizing the relatively new (to
our area) inclusion of heroin as a drug of choice.
Despite these challenges we are exceptionally
fortunate to have a dedicated and highly competent law enforcement
community. In particular, the daily efforts of Sheriff Greg Hagwood and
CHP Commanders Sarah Richards (Quincy area) and Joe Micheletti
(Susanville area) and their staffs are crucial in maintaining a safe and
just Plumas County. While some larger counties have seemingly given up
on enforcing many quality of life laws, Plumas County continues to hold
the line. We continue to investigate and prosecute property and
substance abuse crimes in an effort to maintain the level of safety and
security Plumas County has come to expect. To this end, we have also
recognized the necessity to address lower level crimes, particularly
substance abuse, with a “whole person” approach in an effort to break
the cycle of addiction and help individuals avoid reoffending and,
instead, become productive members of our community. Effectively
responding to, and addressing, these monumental changes in California’s
Criminal Law would be impossible without the effective leadership of our
criminal justice partners. Judges Ira Kaufman and Janet Hilde have
played a pivotal role in creating a blueprint to respond to these
changes while the recent hire of Behavioral Health Director Bob Brunson
was created a real sense of optimism in the delivery of necessary
services.
I am particularly proud of the efforts of the
District Attorney’s Office. Deputy District Attorneys Joel McComb and
Kelly Styger have done an exceptional job in working hard to assure
justice is served in each case they handle. Our front office staff of
Kelly Wilkinson, Arin Meisenheimer and Julie Tanaka have served as the
engine allowing our office to meet the high level of service that is
rightly demanded. Fiscal Office Sheri Johns has served not the just the
DA’s office, but our entire law enforcement community, at the highest
level truly allowing us to best allocate our limited resources in
serving the greater good. Our investigations unit saw the retirement of
Supervisor Jeff Wilkinson, ending a long and dedicated career to Plumas
County. Investigations Specialist Jessica Beatley has been promoted to
the supervisor position – a move wholly deserved after her exceptional
efforts in many high profile Plumas County cases the last ten years.
Tanah Braswell joined our staff this year on a part-time basis and has
worked effectively to meet our goal of maintaining the important and
necessary contact with victims of crime so they can be apprised of the
status of their case and its results. During the summer we were also
delighted to be joined by recent Quincy High School graduates Daniel
Haygood and Abby Edwards in our internship program with each
demonstrating a keen intellect and promising legal future while
providing support to our office in an important and complicated case.
In navigating the changing landscape with
minimal resources, it is crucial we effectively work to lower the
recidivism rate and address the underlying factors giving rise to an
individual’s criminality – particularly with regard to the lower level
crimes involving substance abuse or mental health issues. To this end
2016 saw truly exceptional work from the Community Justice Services
(formerly Alternative Sentencing) team of Lori Beatley, Samantha Rick,
and Marisha Hermann as led by Stephanie Tanaka. Stephanie’s group
initially served as the liason between county resources and the criminal
justice system. As gaps were identified Stephanie and her group
repeatedly stepped up to meet ever-changing needs – including directing
an evolving community justice court, a vibrant day reporting center,
outstanding vocational programs as well as a pretrial release program
crucial to the health of Plumas County as well as our efforts to secure
funding for a new jail.
As we move forward into what appears to be an
exciting and challenging 2017, I am particularly grateful for the
tremendous support of our community in making Plumas County a safe and
just place to live, work and play.