Opinion

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Written by: Randy Ridgel

Published: 30 April 2013

When we came to Lake County back in the 1970s it was like Mayberry RFD. Well, except for Clearlake Highlands, later incorporated as the city of Clearlake.

When I was a boy we divided up and played, “cops and robbers” – shooting at one another with pointed fingers or short sticks – and shouting, “You got me,” as we died very dramatic deaths. Next time around former cops became robbers and vice versa so we couldn’t tell cops from robbers.

Jackie and I were warned to steer clear of Clearlake because it was dangerous. If the county was described anatomically, Clearlake was always labeled as the posterior, or at least a certain part of the posterior.

For years we couldn’t tell cops from robbers there. Then the city brought on Bob Chalk as the chief of police and everything changed.

As a graduate of FBI education he was well schooled in the most modern methods of crime control. He got rid of the deadwood, brought the rest up to speed and schooled them in the most up-to-date police actions.

He was the first in California to bring in the California Highway Patrol to assist. He was always within budget and left the office with thousands of dollars surplus. Despite that he reduced crime by an incredible 65 percent during his tenure.

Jackie and I, after 35 years of volunteer work, had beaten our swords into plowshares and hung up our shields. We intended to go traveling, that is, until the spectacle of the present sheriff appeared.

I need the words of Shakespeare to describe his activities: “Tis a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

The man is a complete embarrassment to his office and the county, and for us taxpayers, a very expensive embarrassment, I might add.

Therefore we became interested when Bob Chalk declared his candidacy last year, researched his qualifications and found them superb.

Then recently Brian Martin announced that he, too, was going to run. Since we’ve been supporters of Bob Chalk, I suppose at this point I’m obligated to say bad things about Brian. But I don’t know any bad things about Brian Martin. Jackie and I have known his family for years and they’re wonderful people.

It’s just that Chalk with his experience and extraordinary performance is by far the better man for the job at this time. Perhaps Martin can bone up and relieve Chalk when he retires as sheriff.

Randy Ridgel lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

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Written by: Gary Hill

Published: 28 April 2013

I have spent most of my life investigating human conduct.

Twelve years were working for the sheriff’s office – six of those years as a detective sergeant. The following 18 years were with the office of the district attorney as a criminal investigator, from which I retired as the chief investigator.

For the past 15 years I have owned and operated my own business as a private investigator. Most of that work has been in criminal defense – helping to make certain that defendants get a fair shake from the system. But my heart and respect have always been with law enforcement and truth and justice.

For 45 years it has been my honor and privilege to serve Lake County and its citizens. My regard and concern for them runs deep and true.

During those years in the District Attorney’s Office I helped investigate and prosecute several bad cops. We convicted some of crimes; some went to jail and some to prison.

I feel qualified in recognizing the good from the bad and I have a strong disregard for peace officers whose badge weighs too heavily.  

Please join us in recalling Frank Rivero, who has failed us all as our sheriff.

Gary Hill lives in Lakeport, Calif.

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Written by: Deborah Wallace

Published: 22 April 2013

The theme of this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – “New Solutions, New Challenges” – reflects the increasingly complex mission of victim advocates today.

We face emerging challenges, such as globalization, changing demographics, immigration, human trafficking, terrorism, new types of crime, and the use of technology both to commit and solve crimes.

We also confront enduring challenges. Victims’ rights are not universal and often not enforced. Victims do not always receive the dignity and respect they deserve. Victims often absorb the physical, emotional, and financial costs of crime largely by themselves.

Over the past year and into the early part of this year, a number of high-profile crimes have highlighted the scope of the challenges we face.

The shooting massacres in Aurora, Colo., and the Sikh temple in Milwaukee, Wis.; the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State; the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, Conn.; and, most recently, the Boston Marathon bombing, have shown the public what we see every day – the searing impact of crime on victims and the inadequacy of our tools to meet their needs.

Our work to ensure the rights of child sexual abuse victims, prevent future violence, and reach all victims has never been more urgent.

Meeting these challenges requires insight and ingenuity. That is why the Office for Victims of Crime has launched its new strategic initiative, “Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services,” to find “new solutions” to the “new challenges” we face.

We applaud the Office for Victims of Crime’s efforts to set a comprehensive course for the future, find smarter and better ways to serve victims, and reach every victim in need.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides an opportunity to revisit our history, celebrate our achievements and advance the progress of victims’ rights.

As we recommit ourselves to our mission, we look forward to observing 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27, with all of you.

Deborah Wallace is program administrator for the Lake County District Attorney’s Office/Victim-Witness Division, based in Lakeport, Calif.