LAKEPORT — The Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) released comments and documents Friday in response to the denial of several department grant applications for money available to area agencies to mitigate the impacts of local casinos.
As part of his reaction, Sheriff Frank Rivero plans to ask the state”s sheriffs” association “to propose legislation to prevent funds intended to mitigate the effects of the gambling casinos on crime and law enforcement from being held hostage to the demands of the individual tribes,” according the statements released by LCSO Capt. James Bauman.
The LCSO had requested nearly $450,000 from grant money available to local agencies from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF).
American Indian tribes operating casinos pay money into the state fund and the state then allocates portions of the fund to local jurisdictions to help mitigate the casinos” impacts on surrounding communities.
Members of the county”s Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee, consisting of local government and tribal officials, gathered Thursday to vote on which applications to approve and determine funding distribution amounts.
There was $864,056.01 available for disbursal, with nearly $512,900 provided by funds from the Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, which operates Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino, and nearly $351,200 from the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, which operates Konocti Vista Casino.
Only three of five voting committee members attended Thursday”s meeting at the Lake County Courthouse.
The committee approved disbursements to a number of agencies, including local fire districts, the Lakeport Police Department and the county”s District Attorney”s Office, Department of Water Resources and Probation Department.
Big Valley had indicated support for disbursing a little more than $118,000 to the LCSO for services to the Big Valley area and another $70,000-plus for LCSO services in the Middletown area.
The committee ultimately voted 2-1 in favor of approving the disbursements to the LCSO; however, the decisions resulted in application denials because approval required three affirmative votes. The Robinson delegate voted against the proposals while the Big Valley representative, who was absent from the meeting, did not cast a vote.
The Robinson representatives present at the meeting chose not to comment on the tribe”s position regarding the LCSO requests. The Record-Bee contacted the Robinson tribal office Thursday, Friday and Monday, asking for official comment. Those requests had not been returned as of deadline Monday.
Among the LCSO documents released Friday was a pair of e-mails purported to have been sent from Robinson tribal police chief David Mendoza to Rivero.
The police chief allegedly suggested in one e-mail that the grant application process provided Rivero “an opportunity to demonstrate (his) commitment to the Tribes by supporting the Robinson Rancheria Police Department in a partnership which would include the financial support and services of the SDF.”
Mendoza allegedly went on to write, “This is an important opportunity for the Sheriff”s Department to obtain an additional funding source while providing services which will have very little impact on your agency.”
Calls made to the Robinson tribal office, asking for verification of the documents released by Rivero, also have not been returned.
The LCSO argues that the tribal police chief suggested the department “would be expected to provide [?services”] in exchange for any SDF allocations,” according to Friday”s statement.
The “services” included cross-deputizing tribal officers and allowing the tribal police access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) and the California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Radio System (CLEMARS), Bauman said, adding that Rivero denied the requests.
“Deputizing Robinson officers and granting them access to State-automated systems reserved for use by California peace officers would place all of the liability for their actions on the County of Lake,” Rivero said.
Rivero added that the LCSO”s access to CLETS and CLEMARS, as well as the access of other local law enforcement agencies, could be compromised in the event of tribal police misuse.
Bauman said Rivero unsuccessfully tried to explain his position regarding the tribal requests during meetings with the tribal council. Rivero did not attend Thursday”s committee meeting, which was open to the public.
The committee decided to redistribute the money Big Valley had supported going to the LCSO. A request for comment made by the Record-Bee to the Big Valley tribal office has not been returned.
The $118,000-plus went to two different sources, with just more than $56,000 going toward inmate medical services and the rest to the county”s Department of Parks and Recreation.
The separate portion of $70,000-plus was distributed evenly between the Southlake Fire District (for facilities and equipment) and Parks and Recreation (for the Middletown area).
The Lake County Deputy Sheriff”s Association (DSA) said Monday in an official statement about the LCSO grant denials and Rivero”s comments, “The (DSA) is highly concerned about this financial shortfall. We hope that this does not affect staffing or services to the community.
“While there may have been several underlying issues that may have led to the tribal leaders” final decision, we remain committed to our service to the community and tribal lands. The (DSA) will continue to work with administration to meet common goals during these financially difficult times.”
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
