By Debra Tash
Thousand Oaks: December 1, 2021, Sheriff William Ayub stepped up and answered pointed questions at a community forum hosted by Ventura County Patriot Meetups. The group is only months old, forming first to discuss local topics then breaking out into working committees to address them. They are primarily on the social texting/messaging app, Telegram.
Questions were submitted via email beforehand to the forum’s moderator, though later in the meeting the floor was opened to audience’s questions.
The first set centered on mandates, both on wearing masks and forced vaccinations. The Sheriff said that in principal the mandates are not laws. Those are enacted by the legislature. However under emergency powers given by the State, local health officers have the authority to issue them and that they have the force of law. This power is outlined in California Health and Safety Code 120130.
Enforcement’s posture has to be reasonable. He maintained that his officers didn’t act on past mandates and won’t police future ones like closing businesses, not wearing masks, social distancing or forcing people to get vaccinated. Their job is to keep the peace. The Sheriff lamented that this state of emergency has gone on for two years. He said the goalposts keep moving and he doesn’t think people are buying into the continual panic any longer. His department has no vaccine mandate for its employees and there are none in the County overall, except with health care workers. Note: A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a ruling that widens a ten state ban on forced vaccinations of health care workers.
The next set of questions were about the Constitution. Sheriff Ayub said that there is no mention of sheriffs in the United States Constitution and in California’s it only states that each county shall elect its own sheriff, nothing else. Law enforcement is sworn in pledging to uphold both constitutions and again their primary function is to keep the peace.
On the rise in crime, he pointed out that inmates were transferred out of state prisons to the counties they resided in. This was done under the Post Release Community Supervision program. When Covid hit the problem was made worse when the courts enacted zero bail to lower the population in the local jails. That population went down from 1400 to 800 inmates in Ventura County. Some of those who were let out were there for violent crimes. The policy proved so bad it was rescinded after four months.
We did submit some questions from one reader in a separate email to the sheriff before the forum.
Q. If an official violates The Constitution will the sheriff’s department comply with citizens written demands to arrest that official? If not then what is the procedure for stopping such activity?
A. Violations of the U.S. and/or California Constitution are civil in nature, as opposed to criminal. Civil matters are settled in the courts through legal actions brought by attorneys. Law enforcement officers do not make arrests for constitutional violations.
Ayub fielded concerns about illegal immigration from the audience. It is difficult to deal with in California since it became a sanctuary state. His officers are not allowed to interact with ICE. Drugs and people come into the County on panga boats which are abandoned on isolated beaches. At times illegals are found dehydrated and in poor condition. It then becomes a humanitarian issue.
In another question submitted through Citizens Journal, Ayub answered:
Q. When we go through the trouble of getting a CCP, how likely will future officials make it impossible to renew?
A. Assuming “CCP” refers to a concealed carry permit for a firearm, the answer to this question depends on who the County Sheriff is and what changes to state law our legislature makes. At present, I know of no legislative efforts to restrict the issuance of concealed carry licenses. In Ventura County, the Sheriff is solely responsible for the issuance of concealed carry licenses. My policy is to issue licenses to those individuals who meet the state’s mandated criteria (proper training, local residency, etc.) and who have a demonstrated history of good judgment and strong character. You can find more information regarding concealed carry licenses here: https://www.venturasheriff.org/public-resources/concealed-weapons-permit/
His force is down by 5%. Some of that deficit is because they were unable to hold a police academy due to Covid. It takes one year to train an officer. They will be working to make it up. Also they are losing officers to other states. The cost of living and the threat of mandates have all taken their toll. The department is working on instituting a signing bonus to attract new recruits.
He closed by saying, “These are difficult times.”
They are indeed.
Debra Tash is former Editor-in-Chief of Citizensjournal.us, past president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, business executive and award-winning author, residing in Somis.
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