I’d like to speak to the elephant in the room, tax for Public Safety. What is the reality? No jail space, Redding down at least 25 police officers, community safety officers and civilian support compared to 2001.
The crime problem is foremost on most of our minds. Chief Moore and his staff are trying to do the best they can do with the resources they have been allotted. Redding is a medium-sized California city. A hub city which brings shoppers and workers from a large area outside Redding city limits.
There is an old saying “pay me now or pay me later”. In our case that may mean if we do not increase our police service now our community will continue to have people and businesses leave or worse yet not come to live in Redding. We’ve had community groups step up and try to help, but that’s only temporary.
This issue belongs to all of us. Just look at cities as near as Anderson, 10 miles away, what they have done by voting in a tax for public safety. It’s time for us to either consider a public safety tax or stop complaining and we all live with this continued mess.
Robert Blankenship, Redding Police Chief, Retired.
