Sherman R. Frederick
Marinscope
Marin County Board of Supervisors put $835,000 into a new countywide drug squad that critics said would escalate the war on drugs in Marin.
Although the supervisors voted unanimously to spend the money, citizens who called into the virtual meeting chastised the move, saying this kind of expenditure is exactly the opposite of what the Black Lives Matter movement wants.
“Defund the police,” they said. Don’t escalate the war on drugs.
The call hit a nerve with the supervisors. Supervisor Katie Rice spent time at the meeting defending the county’s track record on drug issues, maintaining it has been balanced.
“It’s not just about putting people in jail,” she said. “I want people to understand we are trying to address the situation holistically.”
Supervisor Kate Sears, who voted for the new drug squad, said she’s been doing a lot of reading lately and found the book “The New Jim Crow” enlightening.
Speaking to Sheriff Robert Doyle, who was on the video call, Sears said: “Bob I would hope members of law enforcement might want to do a little reading. I would recommend everyone read “The New Jim Crow.”
The sheriff, who took withering and unsubstantiated criticism from members of the public at the meeting, said: “Supervisor Sears if you send me that book I’ll read it.”
“The New Jim Crow” book has been hailed as a “distressing book (that) offers important lessons for all societies that claim color-blindness but enact policies that scapegoat marginalised groups.”
The new drug task force would fight drug use — both on the supply and demand sides — on a countywide basis in a more coordinated way.
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It always nice when a supervisor has helpful information for a professional to do his job.. Is she the same one that paid fines for ethics violations?