• Home
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Authors
  • Advertise
  • Categories
    • Archives
    • Chaplain
    • Crime & Controversy
    • Community
    • Cop Humor
    • Editorial
    • Op-ed
    • Gear & Technology
    • Investigations
    • Laws & Legal
    • Leadership
    • News
    • Officer Down
    • On Duty
    • Tactics
  • Network
    • Illinois Network
    • Minneapolis Network
    • Tulsa Network
    • Wauwatosa Network
No Result
View All Result
Law Officer
Law Officer
No Result
View All Result

Orange County Sheriff Refuses To Enforce Governor’s Stay-at-Home Order

December 6, 2020
Law ObyLaw Officer
in Laws & Legal, Leadership, News
Don Barnes

Sheriff Don Barnes (Orange County Sheriff's Department)

1.8k
SHARES
7.8k
VIEWS
Share and speak up for justice, law & order...

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — The sheriff of Orange County, California, released a statement Saturday explaining that residents complying with state health orders will be a matter of “personal responsibility” and that his department will not be enforcing the new stay-at-home order, Daily Wire reported.

“The ever-changing nature of these orders, and the increase of COVID-19 case numbers bring additional uncertainty and stress to California residents,” said Sheriff Don Barnes.

“The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will remain consistent in our approach,” added Barnes. “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.”

  • SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MAN ARRESTED AFTER CHILDREN FOUND DECAPITATED

Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a new metric for triggering stay-at-home orders across the state: If the number of available hospital ICU beds falls below 15% in a region — the five regions being Southern California, Northern California, San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Sacramento Area — a stay-at-home order will go into effect. According to ABC-30, the governor has maintained that compliance for the stay-at-home orders will fall to local officials and has warned of consequences for not enforcing them, such as redirecting funding earmarked for COVID-19 purposes away from the area.

Although Sheriff Barnes was clear to say people should be wearing face masks and social distancing of their own volition, he remained steadfast as he suggested that politicians have been putting law enforcement in a bind as to what is and isn’t expected of them.

“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,” said Barnes on Saturday.

Policymakers, he added, “must not penalize residents for earning a livelihood, safeguarding our mental health, or enjoying our most cherished freedoms.”

Please see my statement regarding Southern California being placed under the Governor’s regional stay-at-home order. pic.twitter.com/lgvvHGnasp

— OC Sheriff Don Barnes (@OCSheriffBarnes) December 5, 2020

Under the stay-at-home order, restaurants in the region must close all indoor and outdoor dining, and shopping centers must limit indoor capacity to 20%. Movie theaters, playgrounds, museums, and hair and nail salons must close, and overnight camping is prohibited. Houses of worship can remain open for outdoor activities only, and schools that have received waivers to open prior to a stay-at-home order can continue to operate.

“The bottom line is if we don’t act now, our hospital system will be overwhelmed,” said Newsom, who recently warned that every region in the state is expected to hit the 15% ICU threshold in December. “If we don’t act now, we’ll continue to see a death rate climb, more lives lost.”

  • CALIFORNIA SHERIFF, BUSINESS OWNER HAVE VEXING MESSAGE FOR GOV. NEWSOM

In neighboring Riverside County, Sheriff Chad Bianco concurred with Sheriff Barnes, although he was more expressive as he referred to Newsom as having a “dictatorial attitude,” Law Officer reported.

“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,” Sheriff Bianco began. “We were 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.”

“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,” Bianco continued. “These closures and stay-at-home orders are flat-out ridiculous. The metrics used for closures are unbelievably faulty and are not representative of true numbers and are disastrous for Riverside County. When the medical field is so split about this virus, it might be time to employ a little common sense.”

“Keeping money and support from our hospitals who are struggling with normal seasonal increases in patients, coupled with COVID-19 patients, is irresponsible,” he continued. “It appears part of the new goal is to shift attention away from his and other’s personal behavior with a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude by turning public opinion against California Sheriffs. He is expecting us to arrest anyone violating these orders, cite them and take their money, close their businesses, make them stay in their homes, and take away their civil liberties or he will punish all of us. I believe that all jobs are essential to someone. Leaders do not threaten, attempt to intimidate, or cause fear; bullies do.”

“As has been our position from the beginning of this pandemic, the Sheriff’s 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,” he concluded. “Wear your mask and practice social distancing. While the Governor’s office and the state has threatened action against violators, 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. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a safe and happy New Year.”

 



  • Bio
Law Officer

Law Officer

Law Officer is the only major law enforcement publication and website owned and operated by law enforcement. This unique facet makes Law Officer much more than just a publishing company but is a true advocate for the profession.

Share and speak up for justice, law & order...
Tags: Courageous LeadershipGavin NewsomSheriff Chad BiancoSheriff Don Barnes

Bookmark LawOfficer.com

Get away from social media: Bookmark LawOfficer.com or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Join the Law Officer Local Network

Local police organizations are signing up every week to push back against political nonsense and news media myths...

Follow your Law Officer Local Network:

  • Illinois
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Tulsa, OK
  • Wauwatosa, WI
Law Officer on gab

Join us on gab.com—fight censorship!

Related Posts

California middle-schooler

California’s campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches requisite number of signatures

February 14, 2021
2.5k
Joseph Mensah

Hero cast aside by city, hired as Waukesha County deputy

January 26, 2021
6.6k
Los Angeles County prosecutors

Los Angeles County prosecutors file lawsuit against new boss saying DA reforms ‘violate the law’

December 30, 2020
7.9k

Report recommends banning ex-military from joining law enforcement

January 24, 2021
22.1k

Politicians are destroying Milwaukee as former chief sues and returns

January 24, 2021
6.1k
Sheriff defiant

Sheriff defiant of judge’s order to release inmates due to coronavirus

December 15, 2020
3.4k
Load More
Book: The Courageous Police Leader

Latest Articles

Michigan officer resigns

Michigan officer resigns amid internal investigation for racially insensitive social media post

March 3, 2021
1.9k
Murder Rate Increases, 2020-2019

Murder rates surged in 90% of America’s largest cities in 2020

March 3, 2021
1.5k
immigrants

108 immigrants entering country illegally test positive for coronavirus

March 3, 2021
1.5k
big city chiefs

Biden administration locks ICE Alerts Twitter account

March 3, 2021
2k
Investigation

Texas suspects arrested on 150 counts of voter fraud

March 2, 2021
2.5k
Black police officer

Black police officer fired after using N-word

March 2, 2021
5.8k
Load More

Liberty University offers affordable tuition and a 25% discount for law officers and first responders.

LA Police Gear

Must Read

Murder Rate Increases, 2020-2019

Murder rates surged in 90% of America’s largest cities in 2020

March 3, 2021
1.5k
California man

Advocates insist offender rehabilitation programs work—Are they right?

February 26, 2021
1.5k
Mainstream Media Fake News

Many liberals mistakenly believe 10,000 ‘unarmed blacks’ were killed by police in a year

February 25, 2021
6.1k
Capitol Police

Capitol Police Union Votes ‘No-Confidence’ in Top Leaders

February 16, 2021
2.2k

Too little, too late: Minneapolis City Council reverses ‘defunding’—offers $6M for police recruiting

February 15, 2021
7.7k
Load More

Most Popular

Oklahoma City police officer charged with manslaughter—after shooting knife-wielding attacker

March 1, 2021
84.3k
Orisha Land

Black liberation autonomous zone — ‘Orisha Land’ — forming in Austin

March 2, 2021
22.9k

Ithaca Mayor plans to replace police department with civilians

February 28, 2021
20k

Alabama Chief thanks Illinois Governor for sending him officers after police reform bill is passed

February 24, 2021
55.4k
gun shop shooting

Louisiana police release shocking video of deadly gun shop shooting

February 22, 2021
30.8k

More from Law Officer

  • Archives (12,812)
  • Chaplain (72)
  • Community (125)
  • Cop Humor (11)
  • Crime & Controversy (48)
  • Editorial (431)
  • Gear & Technology (63)
  • Investigations (2,311)
  • Laws & Legal (1,245)
  • Leadership (465)
  • News (5,635)
  • Officer Down (773)
  • On Duty (46)
  • Op-ed (585)
  • Tactics (402)

Stand up & speak out!

Gab with us—fight censorship!

Telegram us!

Submit your Letter to the Editor

Law Officer

© 2021 LawOfficer.com

LawOfficer.com

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact

Speak up for justice, law & order

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Law Officer Networks
    • Illinois Network
    • Minneapolis Network
    • Tulsa Network
    • Wauwatosa Network

© 2021 LawOfficer.com