Many in law enforcement know that their oath is to the Constitution, not to tyrannical politicians.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California says it will not use law-enforcement patrols to enforce the most recent COVID-19 restrictions enacted by Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom.
In a statement, the department said it is aware of the governor’s plan to modify the Golden State’s “Stay at Home” order based on changes in bed capacity at intensive-care units.
Newsom announced on Thursday that four out of five regions in the state will soon have fewer than 15 percent of beds available in the intensive care units of their regional hospital networks, which will trigger the new restrictions. The only region that did not meet the threshold for the restriction was the Bay Area.
The governor said that when the order goes into effect, all bars, hair salons, barbershops, casinos, and indoor and outdoor playgrounds will be mandated to shut down.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said it will focus, not on direct enforcement, but on educating the public about the supposed dangers of defying the orders.
“We will continue to work closely with our county and city partners to best serve our communities,” read a statement from the department. “As has been the case since we were initially faced with the difficulties of living and working through this pandemic together, our goal is to educate and gain voluntary compliance regarding Public Health orders.”
“We will continue to partner with our communities and deliver the law enforcement services they deserve while keeping health and safety of our staff and those we serve as a top priority,” the statement added.
Back in March, an online reporting system was set up in March through a cooperative of county departments for the public to voice concerns and lodge reports.
Residents of San Bernardino County who contact the Sheriff’s Department to report alleged violators of state COVID-19 orders will instead be referred to the county’s JIC (Joint Information Center) so that the cases can be adjudicated through those avenues. Based on the severity of the reports received, the cases will be responded to by other city or county-based agencies.
For example, allegations by residents about individuals not wearing masks or not social distancing will not receive a law-enforcement response, SBCSO Public Information Officer Brittany Rios told Fox News on Friday.
“It’s not our intent to utilize patrols,” Rios said.
The outlet notes:
The department stressed in its statement that there is a level of trust given that members of the community will show good judgment and act responsibly to slow the spread of the coronavirus in California.
In Northern California, a conglomeration of counties announced that they will preemptively implement the state’s regional “Stay at Home” orders.
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties, as well as Berkeley city, made the collective announcement Friday.
“It takes several weeks for new restrictions to slow rising hospitalizations and waiting until only 15% of a region’s ICU beds are available is just too late,” explained San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragon. “[T]he time to act is now.”
The attitude of SBCSO contrasts with other governments and law-enforcement agencies around the country.
In Maryland, for instance, residents of the Old Line State are now being subjected to “high-visibility compliance units,” combined units of state troopers and local police officers who have been charged with ensuring that businesses, bars, and restaurants are complying with capacity levels, mask-wearing, and social distancing.
The compliance unit went into force last week right in time for Thanksgiving. Violators could be punished and forced to close down. The penalty is up to $5,000 in fines or possibly one year in jail.
The coronavirus-fueled police state is even more tyrannical abroad. In Britain, for example, the government is reportedly planning to roll out “freedom passes” and specialized passport certificates to those who have tested negative for COVID-19. This immunity certificate would be stored on people’s phones after they receive a letter, card, or document from the government on testing negative. It is anticipated that this will allow Britons to visit their family members (which currently is largely prohibited) and to travel without a mask.
There’s nothing like fear of an invisible enemy to get people to give up their most basic liberties without a fight.
