Press Releases

In response to yesterday’s action by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to initiate an Environmental Impact Report for a Delta tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Joaquin County officials issued the following comments: “The latest action by the State does absolutely nothing to address any of the goals it seeks to accomplish,” said San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair, Kathy Miller.

On December 16, The United State Supreme Court declined to review City of Boise v. Martin, Case No. 19-247 – a decision in which the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that enforcing local laws prohibiting camping and sleeping on public property “when no sleeping space is practically available in any shelter” within the jurisdiction violates the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

As a result of Board directing County staff, at the November 19, 2019 Board meeting, an additional $227,062 will be received by the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless and the Gospel Center Rescue Mission to address the temporary expansion of emergency shelter operations during the period of December 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020.

Today, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a new thirty-six month contract with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA). DSA represents approximately 285 peace officers in San Joaquin County.

Today, the citizens of San Joaquin County were impacted by Deputy Sheriff’s not showing up to work causing the Superior Court to close to the public. The Deputies who are involved in this action work in the Courts as bailiffs. The Deputies actions are tied to labor negotiations between San Joaquin County and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Strikes by law enforcement are illegal. Regardless, the intent of labor negotiations should not be the cause for services being diminished to San Joaquin County residents. We are always mindful of our responsibilities to the taxpayers; any agreement we reach with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association or other unions must be viable in the long term.