I am appalled at the lack of support members of our County Board of Supervisors are offering Sheriff Adam Christianson. They are well aware that in order for the Sheriff to run his department efficiently he must have adequate funding. Without that basic level of support, his job is much, much harder. If the department was adequately funded, he would have the ability to delegate supervisory positions that would address accusations that there could be a lack of employee oversight. It was the county’s budget cuts that caused this situation in the first place. If the supervisors do not realize how important the Sheriff’s Department is to this community, then they shouldn’t be sitting on the board. 
 

Personal attacks against the sheriff are increasing. Why isn’t the Board of Supervisors standing beside the sheriff and publicly supporting him? Why would the Board of Supervisors allow the sheriff to take all the blame for not having the ability to adequately fund his department? Yet the board sits quietly by and allows the sheriff to be publicly ridiculed and blamed while they do nothing. I apologize if this comes across as harsh, but I thought only cowards did things like that. 
 

There is no question in my mind that several members of the board do not personally like the sheriff, but since when does a personal opinion get in the way of doing the right thing for this community? Any member of the board that would call Modesto’s gang injunction “harassment,” is not in touch with the reality of this community. You do not have the right to allow your personal opinion to outweigh what is in the best interest of our community. Our community is at stake, and the political blacklisting has to stop. 
 

Each of the supervisors was elected to represent we, the people, of this county. They were not elected to play games with the people who are charged with ensuring our safety.

They are attempting to sell the people of this community a “choose civility” campaign, a campaign they recently endorsed. I’m questioning whether the board is under the impression that they are somehow above the choose civility campaign because I do not see any of them publicly denouncing the incivility towards the sheriff. I think the board should start practicing what they preach. 
 

It’s time to put the political game playing to rest and do what is in the best interest of this community.
 

— Linda Taylor