Sheriff holds county-wide Coffee with a Cop

By Kathe Malouf, Kern Valley Sun
Original article HERE

The first “Coffee with a Cop” of the new year was held last week with a strong showing of both community leaders and law enforcement.

This event differed from some of the valley’s previous Coffee with a Cop events because it was organized by Kern County Sheriff’s Office rather than The Sun.

Kern County Sheriff Sergeant Johnnie Frisbie, along with the deputies who work the day shift in the Kern River Valley, met with residents at the Red Rooster Café in Mt. Mesa on Jan. 8 for the informal Coffee with a Cop. Frisbie said the meeting provided an ideal opportunity to introduce his officers to community residents.

“These guys are the ones making things happen for you,” Frisbie said as he welcomed residents to the morning meeting. “These are the ones who are protecting and serving.”

Frisbie opened the meeting by saying that they plan to hold Coffee with a Cop meetings on a quarterly basis at different locations in the Kern River Valley. He noted that the Coffee-style meetings are held throughout the county as a way to give residents an open forum with local law enforcement officers.

While the informal meetings allow residents to talk with officers and bring up issues that affect them and their communities, the meetings also help to keep local sheriff deputies in touch with residents in various communities of the valley.

Most of the attending residents used the one-on-one time to discuss criminal activity they see in their neighborhoods and business; activities such as open and daily drug buys, a spike in the number of homeless who gather at various businesses or unresolved thefts.

While Frisbie did not downplay the issues raised, he noted that some of these incidents are considered as an infraction or a misdemeanor, adding that it is not easy to make an arrest for a misdemeanor unless the officer sees it occur, or the activity is caught on video.

Prop. 47, which passed in 2013, has limited law enforcement authority across the state. Where certain drug offenses, such as possession, were considered a felony, the passage of Prop. 47 reduced drug possession to a misdemeanor. Frisbie clarified that selling drugs is still considered to be a felony.

Sgt. Frisbie said he shares the frustration that residents feel.

“We make an arrest and people go to jail. But the courts let them out. They get fingerprinted, booked, they get a sandwich and they are released,” Frisbie said. “It’s a revolving door.”

The issue of staffing at Kern County Sheriff’s office was raised, and Frisbie stated that staffing is a big issue for law enforcement and that their staffing level is at a critical point.

“We have lost a lot of staffing, and we are down about 130 bodies,” Frisbie said, adding that part of the reason is money. Deputies are leaving Kern County Sheriff’s Office for other jurisdictions that offer better salaries. Because voters within the City of Bakersfield recently approved a sales tax that would increase the pay scale of safety personnel, Frisbie stated that Kern County Sheriff’s office could lose more officers to Bakersfield Police Department.

Frisbie told the group that the call volume at the Kern Valley Sheriff’s substation is one of the highest for substations in the county, with officers often finding themselves going from call to call.

Since 2013, the number of calls for service in the Kern River Valley has increased from 8,000 to 16,000 per year.

When questioned, Frisbie said that Kern Valley substation has a current staffing level of 11 and is currently funded for 13.

As the substation Sergeant, a major part of Frisbie’s job is managing personnel within his allotted budget, something that proves to be a challenge when balancing daily staffing levels, overtime and calls for service within the large land area of the Kern River Valley.

It came as no surprise to those in attendance when Frisbie stated that drugs continue to be the number one factor for criminal activity.

One resident asked if marijuana is legal in California and Kern County, to which Frisbie responded that it is legal for personal medicinal purposes, and a person can possess a specific quantity of marijuana for personal use; however, a person cannot sell it.

Residents attending the Coffee were seated at different tables, so Frisbie and the officers made it a point to go around the room talking with residents about the concerns and issues they have within their communities.

The next Coffee with a Cop will be announced when a date and location has been selected.