Duffy’s Attitude Part of Problem

Because San Diego County has the most crowded jail system in the nation, the advent of 1,000 jail beds is a significant landmark--worthy of at least a temporary truce between the sheriff and the Board of Supervisors.

Instead, Sheriff John Duffy decided to escalate the hostilities.

Duffy not only boycotted the supervisors’ dedication ceremony for the remodeled and expanded County Jail in Vista, but, in a publicly released letter, ridiculed the ceremony and Supervisor Susan Golding, whom he referred to as “her royal highness.”

Duffy called the ceremony foolish and petty, and, in truth, ribbon cuttings and other such ceremonial functions are usually banal affairs. But Duffy’s denunciation of the ceremony was even more petty and foolish.

San Diego’s criminal justice system has been in a state of crisis for years because of a severe shortage of jail cells and courtrooms--on the verge of breakdown, Duffy and other county officials pronounced a few weeks ago. This is a time when public officials should be pulling together, not sniping at each other.

This is especially true for Duffy. He has authority over the jails, that segment of the system with the direst needs, but he must depend on the supervisors and the voters to provide the funds. Bitter rantings against the supervisors are not likely to help that cause.

Such public divisiveness also does not contribute to a sense that the sheriff is doing his job running the jails. Indeed, it’s one more indication that Duffy--and his frequent disdain for those he disagrees with--may be more a part of the justice system’s problems than the solution.

Early this year, the San Diego County Grand Jury criticized him for disdaining those who said that deputies were abusing inmates while ignoring whether there was any substance to the complaints. Later, when The Times asked him about his frequent out-of-county trips, Duffy again showed disdain, saying that if he did nothing but be sheriff he would “be bored to death.”

We would like to remind the sheriff that just a few weeks ago he joined Golding and other county officials in chastising the city of San Diego for not taking into account how its actions affect the county’s overall criminal justice system. They made a plea for public support and regional cooperation to help keep the system functioning. If Duffy wants the public to respond, he would do well to show some spirit of cooperation himself.