Jails Vital to Public Safety

I have tried to refrain from entering the arena of political debate over the siting of a new county jail. However, recent comments questioning the wisdom of building a new jail have caused me to respond. The safety and well-being of all the citizens of this county always have (been) and always will be my primary concern.

I believe that you and I, and our children, deserve to feel safe and secure in our homes, our schools, our workplaces and streets. We should not have to endure the terror of gang violence, the depression of drug trafficking, the fear of violent crime and the financial and emotional strain of having our possessions stolen from us.

We are fortunate to live in a community that enjoys the lowest crime rate (based on FBI statistics) this side of the Mississippi River. It is no accident that we are blessed with such enviable circumstances. A close working relationship among all elements of the criminal justice system lends to a cooperative and beneficial effort toward a common goal--public safety. Jails are a vital link in that system.

Without adequate bed space to house criminal violators, we will no longer be able to protect those assets of our existence we cherish the most. I, too, am concerned about the environment and the protection of our green spaces, but without reasonable compromises in land use, our opportunity to enjoy them will be ravaged by the criminal element just as assuredly as by asphalt and concrete.

Exhaustive studies, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, have already been conducted to determine the best possible site on which to build a new jail, and to minimize the impact to the surrounding environment. These studies clearly show that additional bed space at the Government Center would be far more costly to construct, operate and staff than the recommended facility. The Todd Road site has been selected by the Board of Supervisors, the land has been purchased, and the design of the new jail has been completed.

We must not allow the parochialism of a few to jeopardize the safety of the entire county. I urge each of you to join me in the fight against crime in our neighborhoods by contacting your representative on the Board of Supervisors and asking them to move ahead with the construction of a new jail at Todd Road.

Opponents to this project are correct; this is an environmental issue--our safety and security are an integral part of the environment.

JOHN V. GILLESPIE, Ventura County Sheriff