Letter: I’m supporting the Coos County Public Safety Levy, Main

I encourage your support of the Coos County Public Safety Levy 6-213 and the re-election of Commissioner Robert Main. Sadly, a huge burden of public safety has been shifted to local taxpayers due to State Laws decriminalizing so much negative conduct, mandating instant release from custody, and the closing of prisons. Remember Shutters Creek which did so much for our community and for the inmates themselves.

In August of 2022, Coos County Community Corrections supervised 463 people and had an additional 300 clients with warrants for absconding. Recently the Coos County District Attorney mentioned a prosecutorial backlog of 1,400 cases. This measure will not be a cure-all but will bring a much-needed increase in beds to our jail plus two more assistant district attorneys.

In closing, I would like to express my admiration to those few who have turned their lives around and returned to being fine people and productive citizens.

Thomas Benz

North Bend