Coos County Sheriff Responds to Concerns About the Seat Belt Blitz from February

From: Rob Taylor
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2017 2:08 PM
To: Craig Zanni
Subject: Press Release from February

Re:  Seat Belt Blitz
Hello Craig,
 
I know you have a difficult job and you have to enforce the law.  I know all the safety reasons for wearing a seatbelt.  I know all the statistics and facts when it comes to auto accidents, yet it is still one of my most despised laws.   I paid a ridiculously high fine in another city just for forgetting to put on my seatbelt after simply going through a drive-thru.  I do not like wearing it and I do not like the way the Feds forced it down the throat of state legislators.  
 
In addition, some might see this exercise as a waste of resources when some areas of the county are in a crime wave.
 
I personally would prefer your deputies to focus on protecting property and the rights of my family rather than worrying about my safety. 
 
I appreciate everything you do for the community and you have my upmost respect, but I have to protest these types of blitzes. 
 
Could you please give me a statement that can be posted publicly about this issue? 
 
Several people have contacted me with questions and dissatisfaction in focusing on something that they believe should be a personal choice.  Children are a different story, but for consenting adults, it just seems petty and punitive. 

Sincerely, Rob Taylor

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Rob:
 I hope this finds you doing well. Have not seen you in a while and the BOC meeting just don’t seem as interesting.
I can respond to your request for information.

1.       These are weighted grants, ( used to view your ability to apply for other grant monies) although the grants are voluntary, on occasions we do not apply for them. However to completely stop applying can and does have a negative impact on applying for other federal grants which we may want or need.
2.       I have used these grants to be able provide additional  patrols during busy times without negative impact on the county budget. ( a balancing act)
3.       In the past( until the recent pay scale changes at the county) the grants allowed deputies an opportunity to make some additional money to help support their families.( again without impact to the county budget) As you know, prior to the recent contract, the pay for deputies at the county was below the pay scales for the smaller local agencies and  frankly the job has a higher call load and requirements. ( Search and rescue/ civil process  service etc..) We were and have lost a significant number of deputies to local and state agencies specifically due to the pay)
4.       In most instances, not many sites are issued but by mere presence ( additional patrols out and about)  people not only were more aware of their driving but additional deputies were on duty in case of an emergency.
 Just this morning, I received a notice that the justice department(US) are looking at reestablishing some COPS grants , were smaller agencies such as ours can obtain funding to hire officers that  are paid by the grant for three (3) years without requiring matching funds. Because we are in good standing we will be eligible to apply were many agencies will not. I think you get the drift of what I am trying to say
 
Craig

The following Press Release was sent out by the Sheriff's Department in
February of 2017, but then it was resent out on May 11, 2017. 

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