I consider the article “Lake County Stats Buck Stereotypes” (Record-Bee, Nov. 16) written by Elizabeth Wilson, irresponsible reporting. The conclusion she encourages her readers to reach is that Kelseyville”s crime rate far exceeds that of any other community in Lake County. Yet, the only statistics presented are those from the Lake County Sheriff”s Department. The Sheriff”s Department is totally responsible for the unincorporated areas of Lake County and only responsible for parts of Lakeport and Clearlake.
Most of the crime in Lakeport and Clearlake is handled by the police departments in those cities. Presenting crime statistics compiled by the Sheriff”s Department is fine but comparing communities is unfair unless and until statistics from all departments/agencies are available. The tone of the article saddens me. It encourages divisiveness rather than encouraging communities to work together to make Lake County a better place to live.
Carolyn McLaren
Kelseyville
Editor”s Note: Please see the Record-Bee”s follow-up story by Elizabeth Wilson elsewhere on this website.
