Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes announced Saturday that his
agency would not enforce the new coronavirus-related lockdown
enacted in California.
According
to the Associated Press, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced a plan
last week for the most restrictive lockdown since the beginning of
the pandemic if the state’s COVID-19 metrics met certain
thresholds, which has now happened.
From the AP:
The vast region of Southern California, much of the San
Francisco Bay area and a large swath of the Central Valley are
about to be placed under a sweeping new lockdown in an urgent
attempt to slow the rapid rise of coronavirus cases.The California Department of Public Health said Saturday the
intensive care unit capacity in Southern California and Central
Valley hospitals had fallen below a 15% threshold that triggers the
new measures, which include strict closures for businesses and a
ban on gathering with anyone outside of your own household. The new
measures will take effect Sunday evening and remain in place for at
least three weeks, meaning the lockdown will cover the Christmas
holiday.
What did the sheriff say?
Barnes did not mince words: He said that compliance with the new
order is a matter of “personal responsibility,” so his agency would
not be enforcing the “ever-changing” nature of Democrat-imposed
restrictions.
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will remain consistent
in our approach,” Barnes explained. “Orange County Sheriff’s
deputies will not be dispatched to, or respond to, calls for
service to enforce compliance with face coverings, social
gatherings, or stay-at-home orders only. Deputies will respond to
calls for potential criminal behavior and for the protection of
life and property. Our actions remain consistent with the
protections of constitutional rights.”
The sheriff also criticized the restrictions because they hurt
Americans who are “already struggling through difficult
circumstances.”
“To put the onus on law enforcement to enforce these orders
against law abiding citizens who are already struggling through
difficult circumstances, while at the same time criticizing law
enforcement and taking away tools to do our job, is both
contradictory and disingenuous,” Barnes said.
Please see my statement regarding Southern California being
placed under the Governor’s regional stay-at-home order.
https://t.co/lgvvHGnasp— OC Sheriff Don Barnes (@OC Sheriff Don Barnes)1607208772.0
When Newsom enacted a less restrictive stay-at-home order last
month, Barnes
also bucked the Democratic governor.
“At this time, due to the need to have deputies available for
emergency calls for service, deputies will not be responding to
requests for face-coverings or social gatherings-only enforcement,”
Barnes said.
