Sheriff Anderson, Pa.: Our Office will not be enforcing any “order” that violates our Constitutional Rights.

In response to many messages that we have received on our stance of the shutdown order of businesses in our County: 

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will honor our solemn oath to Support, Obey and Defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth. Our Office will stand with the citizens in defense of all of our Constitutional Rights! Our Office will not be enforcing any “order” that violates our Constitutional Rights. Sheriff Anderson has stated “I have no intentions in turning local business owners into criminals”.

UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO SOME CALLS AND FEEDBACK FROM THIS POST TO CLARIFY: This is only the stance of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office but does not mean that this is the stance of State or Local Law Enforcement in Cumberland County.

Crook County Sheriff John Gautney doesn’t plan to cite any business that reopens, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

KTVZ quoted the Sheriff in part: “If a business decides to open, that is a decision the business owner makes. If customers choose to shop with that business that is that person’s choice,” he said. “We are a free society and able to make decisions based on common sense. I see large businesses open every day with lots of customers and they are using safety precautions if they choose. The point is they have the right to choose. If the large stores can accommodate the large number of customers and operate effectively, why are we not letting the small business operate under the same guidelines?”

May 4, 2020 Letter Sheriff Gautney

The last many weeks have been a very difficult time for all of us. The unknown has created fear in many people to the point that it has been crippling to our economy. Crook County has been very good at maintaining our ability to function, in the most part, by doing what we have always done; using our common sense. There have been many businesses in our community that have been terribly harmed by the closing of the businesses by the State. In some of the more populated areas of Oregon, that might be needed, but not in Crook County. We have had one COVID case since this event started, and that was weeks ago, with no new cases since. As a rural county of Oregon we have been able to take care of ourselves and our families for years, and that is no different today.

I don’t want to see more families hurt by this virus, and it is terrible what families that have lost a loved one have gone through. My heart goes out to them. I, in no way want to lessen the importance of their loss. 

I know that recently there has been criticism of the local government officials for not doing anything to get the county back open. I have been here almost every day since this crisis started and I can tell you that the county government is working daily to try and get the economy moving again. It is not always visible to the general public because it is going on behind the scenes. Judge Crawford, Commissioners Brummer and Barney have been constantly meeting with the Governor’s Office along with our County Health Director putting together a plan to move us forward.

Many are concerned that law enforcement will arrest anyone who violates the stay home order. That is simply not true for the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. As we have seen released in the media more than once, that Oregon law enforcement’s role in this is that of EDUCATION if they see violations. The enforcement role falls to the organization that issues licenses for that particular business. If a business decides to open, that is a decision the business owner makes. If customers choose to shop with that business that is that person’s choice. We are a free society and able to make decisions based on common sense. I see large businesses open every day with lots of customers and they are using safety precautions if they choose. The point is they have the right to choose. If the large stores can accommodate the large number of customers and operate effectively, why are we not letting the small business operate under the same guidelines? FOR THE ENTIRE LETTER VISIT KTVZ