By Gregory Ortiz
So, transparency is optional now? Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown seems to think so.
His recent refusal to share information about ICE operations in Santa Barbara County would be almost impressive – if it weren’t such a blatant snub to local oversight and basic accountability.
Apparently, the Sheriff believes that keeping elected supervisors in the dark somehow “protects” federal prosecutions. That’s convenient.
It also protects his office from answering any uncomfortable questions about who is being targeted, where, and why. When “”ongoing federal business” becomes the go-to excuse, the public loses sight of what’s actually happening in their own backyards.Then there’s his declaration that he’ll simply ignore Senate Bill 627 – a state law designed to keep federal agents from hiding behind masks.
Brown insists he doesn’t “have authority” to enforce this law. That’s one way to put it. Another way: he just doesn’t want to. For months, community leaders have asked him to show some backbone in response to the Trump administration’s deportation terror tactics. Instead, he’s chosen to stand behind the familiar “just following orders” defense – one that history hasn’t judged too kindly. If public safety is truly the goal, the Sheriff would open his doors, not slam them shut. Hiding behind federal secrecy doesn’t protect Santa Barbara County – it isolates it.
And the people paying the price aren’t the federal prosecutors. It’s the local families wondering who will protect them as local law enforcement at best stands around doing nothing at worse is complicit in citizens getting roughed up and disappeared.
Op-Ed’s are written by community members, not representatives of edhat. The views and opinions expressed in Op-Ed articles are those of the author’s.
[Do you have an opinion on something local? Share it with us at info@edhat.com.]
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Great points, Mr. Ortiz! Ol Billy Boy is probably regretting that now given this week’s overwhelming rejection of everything MAGA. Elections will be here sooner than you think, Bootlicker Brown!
Time to show these cops what they really are- kindergarten bullies
we need a new sheriff, brown’s time is over.
While I am no fan of Brown, he is following the law. It was just a few years ago that everyone was required by law to wear a mask. Are those laws removed from the books? Don’t think so.
ZIPS – that’s just horse you know what. There was never a law requiring everyone to wear a mask. There were health mandates in certain situations because it was a DEADLY GLOBAL PANDEMIC ffs. And no, those are no longer in effect, obviously.
Do you know why many were asked to wear masks during the DEADLY GLOBAL PANDEMIC? Was it to cover their identity? No. Are ICE agents covering their faces to protect themselves from diseases? No.
For a bunch of pant-wetting crybabies who screamed about wearing a little cloth over their face to help us ALL prevent the spread of a DEADLY GLOBAL PANDEMIC, you all sure love your masks now. What changed? Cowards.
Zips wins for the stupidest comment of the year. Like holy cow man….. stop drinking Windex.
Sue, use freedom of information act requests, sue some more and let’s have a recall election. Brown isn’t a good citizen. He has been living off the fat of taxpayer money for too long.
pin
head
?? that was for COVID….
Just run an anti-law enforcement/pro-illegal immigration liberal candidate for sheriff next time around if you don’t like Brown. Easy peasy!
You forget where you are, my friend. And if Brown keeps forgetting who he works for, that candidate will likely win. We really don’t all feel the same way you do about it. You support an extremist like Brown, and you’ll likely get an extremist on the other side elected. We all support law enforcement; stop trying to pit one side against the other with your “my way or the highway” attitude. Despite what Elon Musk may say, empathy is not a negative quality. It is what has allowed mankind to survive in a hostile world.
BASIC – No need to be so simple all the time. Life isn’t always black and white. In fact, aside from mathematics, it never really is.
Brown has chosen to ignore the County Supes and side with a tyrant. That won’t be forgotten. You don’t have to be “pro-illegal immigration” (not many of us are) to still stand up to the fascist tendencies of Trump’s private imbecile army. You just have to be a good human being. Something you and your kind know nothing about.
You’re such an extremist. And you also still don’t know Sh!t about the kelp operation, love how you snuck away from that.
Just like his fat orange dreamboat, BASIC should be BACO. Not the same ring to it as TACO, but he sure does Always Chicken Out. 🐔🐔🐔
Has Brown EVER been transparent. He should have been replaced long ago.
I agree with Mr. Ortiz. Ed Brown has either become completely cowed by the bullies above him, or he’s always had a desire to be a bully himself. Does he see himself as a minion of Trump, or one of those wacko “Constitutional Sheriffs” running roughshod in some counties? Maybe it’s a 60/40 thing, but he’s failing at serving and protecting the people in this area. Ortiz is correct, this is unsettled law and if Brown cared for the people who live here, many of whom voted for him at one time, he wouldn’t just throw his hand up. The Sheriff isn’t just a law enforcement officer. He is elected by the people and therefore has an obligation to represent their wishes as well as protect them.
Get. Rid. Of. Him.