Stops short of joining other municipalities in going against sheriff’s position
Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli affirmed that the town will not change its current policy in terms of how the Windsor Police Department enforces the county shelter-in-place order, which Foppoli said has been and will continue to focus on education. While neighboring cities such as Healdsburg have taken a stronger stance on the subject, Foppoli seemed to want to take a more neutral stance and voiced that he wants to continue the feeling of unity throughout the community.
“The sheriff statement has nothing to do with our policy in Windsor. Since the beginning of the shelter in place Windsor has used education as the tool to promote keeping our residents safe. Our community responded to that responsibly so we are going to continue that practice,” Foppoli said. “Our policy in Windsor isn’t changing. We are going to continue to encourage our residents to follow health guidelines that keep us all safe during this time.”
Foppoli said so far people in Windsor have been complying and as far as he knows, the police department hasn’t issued a single citation.
In a social media announcement Friday afternoon, May 29, the Windsor Police Department said they will continue to respond to calls for service regarding the health order on a “case by case basis.”
The department, which is comprised of employees of the Sonoma County Sherriff’s Department which the town contracts with for services, said they will continue to educate and inform the community of the health and safety guidelines and to continue with safety mitigation measures such as social distancing and facial coverings.
The message from Windsor Police Department Chief, Ruben Martinez comes on the heels of Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick’s announcement last week that starting today, June 1, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) will no longer enforce the county health order.
The Windsor Police Department message said, “We will continue to respond to calls for service regarding the health order on a case by case basis. Our foremost priority is the safety of our community and that will not change.”
On May 28 when the sheriff’s office made the announcement, Foppoli said in a Facebook post that he had a productive one-on-one talk with the sheriff and that he’d further discuss the issue at an all mayors meeting on May 29.
In his Facebook post Foppoli said, “Part of the biggest problem here has been lack of clear communication, so communication has to be part of the solution. There are not just two sides to this issue. I and the rest of your council are seeking to find a balance between protecting public safety and protecting livelihoods, and we are intent on ensuring Windsor finds it.”
