YUBA COUNTY TOP COPPER MEETS MOI

Placard Applies to Yuba County Sheriff's Department

Aloha in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy.
Many who peek into me blog are 'au fait' with two absolutes, I adore all things Hawaiian and am a rabid anglophile. Follows that when writing a post about matters close to me heart I would pull out all of the stops and try to make reference to both in me piece. Fancy that.

Right, so Yuba County is not Hawaii, where is the connection?

Odd that you should ask, my dears, as I will tell you. There be two band of coppers local. The City of Marysville and Yuba County Sheriff's Department. Having met both, can tell you true that one has different experiences with. Truth be told, without exception, from the top to the very bottom, the men and women of the Yuba County Sheriff's Department are extremely 'people friendly', hence the "Aloha".

If you allow this old geezer to continue, he will weave his web and draw you into the mix.

Sheriff Steve Durfor, Yuba County

Last week, Sheriff Steve Durfor gave an invite to this old geezer to come and take a tour of the Yuba County Sheriff Department facility, located in Marysville, California. Not being the brightest lamp in the chandelier at times, this old geezer did not take in the fact that this facility was located very close to home. In truth, so close that opening up back door of cottage allows one to see it quite clearly.

No clue why MOI thought that Sheriff Durfor toiled away in a building located elsewhere.

I digress.

The invite received was no 'special' treatment on the part of Sheriff Durfor. The great man has a very 'open door' attitude of his department and is more than willing to have members of the public, at his invite, come by and receive his tour. I will tell true, the Sheriff gives good tour.

Being of a certain age, this old geezer stopped by the Candy Box and had Ethel gather up an assortment of her finest chocolates and place in a golden box. Top with a 'turtle' charm, that Ethel says will bring all smiles and good luck. For the mean ones who will read this, I will tell that the chocolates were purchased by MOI and the cost of the gift did not exceed that which is allow by law to a public official.

My guided tour started with a visit to the office of the great man. One expects the office of an elected official to have an ego wall, and Steve Durfor was no exception. There are some snaps of Steve shaking hands with some rather brilliant folks. The odd certificate of appreciation that one receives for public service and other measures of the man who toils away in this, his private space. What takes up most of ego wall is an enormous poster from a favoured film of Sheriff Durfor. "Tombstone". What makes it special are all of the signatures of stars of the film, I mean all of the signatures. I was impressed.

Round about now, there be many wondering if MOI chatted to Sheriff Durfor about recent events at Silly Hall in Marysville. The fact that this old geezer had rolled onto the 'third rail' of local politics and had suggested that Marysville Police Department be out-sourced to Yuba County. It would be mean of MOI to keep you waiting for that bit.

I mentioned to Sheriff Durfor that I had been publicly castigated for my suggesting such a thing to City of Marysville City Council, and taken to task in the Appeal Democrat blog most severely. I got the message, the City of Marysville would rather be 'chucked out on queer street' before giving up a city run police department. Sheriff Durfor is very calm and clever in these local matters. To quote the great man; "Were the City of Marysville to approach me about out-sourcing police services to Yuba County, I be more than happy to sit down and talk with them." No subterfuge, just a plain statement of fact. Sheriff Durfor is not actively looking for more business.

I can tell you true that after my experiences on the matter of out sourcing the police department, I told Sheriff Durfor that hell would freeze over first before that call was made.

Sheriff Durfor held nothing back, I got to peek into meeting rooms, offices and see how calls for help are answered, where folks get finger-printed, the garage. I got to see where evidence is kept safe and met the lovely lady charged with that responsibility. I did not get to tour the jail, and truth be told, was not of a mind to.

The most important part of the tour was the ability to ask questions of the Sheriff, and I had many.

Asked about the evil that drugs presents to the community, Sheriff Durfor shows a deep understanding of the challenges faced by his department in dealing with. So passionate be the Sheriff that in chatting with local groups he never fails to mention that if society could just get a handle on the problem, most of crime would fall away.

I could go on and on with a whole list of questions asked of Sheriff Durfor yesterday, and the end result would be that most would think the primary objective of this post was to blow smoke up the arse of the great man, and make self come off as crime reporter. See, I know you cheeky lot, and am very aware of how pompous some think this old geezer is already. I will write from my heart, of the total impression got from the two hours spent listening to Sheriff Durfor chat.

For over two decades, Steve Durfor has been a copper. Rising up in the ranks, he was a detective and much more before being under-sheriff and now elected sheriff. No one gets to the top without learning a thing or two about self and taking stock of why one does what one does for a living.

In the case of Sheriff Durfor, it is a vocation. In the beginning the public attitude of police work was different. Newly minted coppers had different ideas taught to than now. More was placed on locking up the bad guy. Steve Durfor is no saint, he has had his off days. Days when not all met 'on the job' were viewed well. We all have days like that. I doubt that Sheriff Durfor was ever of the mindset 'us versus them'.

Times changed and so did Sheriff Durfor. Passionately believing in the 'broken window' approach to police work, Steve sees his job as a combination of things. Crime prevention being high on the list. Sheriff Durfor encourages all who work for him to take that same approach. "Treat the person you are arresting with respect, remembering always that that person could be you, but for the grace of God." The degree with which the copper on the beat meets and greets the public is set in tone from on high. Sheriff Durfor sets a high bar in that regard.

Being elected Sheriff of Yuba County is a multi-position title. Sheriff Durfor is also the Coroner for Yuba County, Public Administrator, Chief Jailer and provider of security for court house. There is a $21,000,000.00 budget to oversee, and over 300 hundred employees(the department is made of many types of employees). Along with the job comes a brilliant pay packet.

However brilliant the pay packet be, it pales in comparison to the long hours toiled and the daily hard choices facing the elected sheriff in fulfilling his sacred trust to the public.

When asked what the 'high' be in being Sheriff, Steve has to given a hard think on. When asked of the 'low', he does not have to ponder. It be right hard to call in a member of his department and tell that person that they will lose job. Hard for Sheriff Durfor, as he sees self as the 'father' figure to his 'family' that be the Yuba County Sheriff's Department. In these hard and mean time, when coin is much less in the 'public purse', cuts have to be made and Sheriff Durfor feels each and every one personally. He leads these folks, but he also knows them, by name and more.

Sheriff Durfor has taken a cut in pay packet and given up county provided vehicle. There is not a day that goes by that does not see the great man try and find more ways to keep his 'family' safe. No small task in these hard times.

Sheriff Durfor is well aware of his responsibility to provide 'quality' police service. Not just to the law abiding citizenry of Yuba County, but to be fair and impartial to 'evil doers'. Being in charge of the county jail means that he will have to guard and protect offenders. Be they waiting trial or found guilty, Sheriff Durfor tells his staff to be mindful of their duty to treat all under their care with 'respect'. That level of respect goes to all, even the poor souls that suffer from mental illness who come into the system from time to time.

"To seek and preserve public opinion........by ready offering of individual service and friendship to ALL members of the public without regard to wealth or social standing, by ready exercise of courtesy and friendly good humour....."

"To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence."

It would appear that Sheriff Durfor truly gets the "Peel Principles" of modern police work.

This old geezer is asked oft why he is so 'gooey' over coppers. Sheriff Steve Durfor would serve as the perfect answer. There be some known to MOI who are puzzled by this. Being 'fey' does not make MOI daft. Can easily tell when a copper's eyes 'cloud' over when they feel this old geezer be bent. Sheriff Durfor is a man of the world, he lives in the 21st century and knows well that folks be different. Doubt that he passes many moments pondering that difference. Whatever the difference. The strong impression got of the man is that he treats one and all met as he would like to be treated. More's the pity that there be not more like Sheriff Durfor.

ALOHA. In Hawaii someone can be said to have or show aloha in the way they treat others; whether family, friend, neighbor or stranger.

This old geezer lives in Yuba County and still stands under the umbrella of ALOHA offered by Sheriff Durfor and the Yuba County Sheriff's Department. Matters not that locale has changed and me address is Marysville proper and another police department also has an umbrella.

The small box of chocolates taken with on my visit to Steve Durfor was but a small token of just how high me esteem be for the man and his department. In a perfect world, locals would take the time to let Yuba County Sheriff Department know how much appreciated their service be.

I am proud to call Sheriff Durfor my friend. I am honoured that a local boy grew up and felt that his vocation in life was to be a copper. HERE, Yuba County, felt comfy enough to stay the course and be more brilliant in his contribution to the community by running for elected office and wanting no higher honour than to serve his family, his friends and his community.