El Dorado County sheriff wants USFS to stand down
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
Complaints about the conduct of U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers have led El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini to suspend their authority to enforce state laws in the county effective next month.
John D’Agostini
Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Tim Becker said he could not elaborate on the specific complaints, saying that the sheriff was handling them as he would a personnel matter.
He said the sheriff had received multiple complaints from citizens regarding the actions of U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers in El Dorado County.
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Good for the Sheriff. It isn’t made clear in this article, but the Feds have been overstepping their boundaries in El Dorado County. Again.
Good luck to the candidates for County Supervisor from So. Lake Tahoe to replace Norma Santiago. Be prepared to deal with an entire slate of regressive gun nuts and foxNfrienders headed up by Sheriff John T’bagastini that hate the “elites” at the Lake.
El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini is to be commended for his courageous and Constitutional efforts to uphold the 2nd Amendment and to defend us against Federal bullies.
I don’t know the current sheriff so I’m not going to make some sort of wild guess, although my experience with a number of local sheriffs has been that many of them do their jobs with a sharp eye out for the political ramifications of their decisions. Which is one of the reasons I preferred working for police departments over working for sheriff’s departments.
Also, I don’t have much insight into the workings of the Forest Service Law Enforcement Division. But I do have recent experience teaming up with one of their law enforcement guys while I was trying to find some cold-case evidence. And I was astounded at his willingness to put himself into potentially hazardous situations with no back-up within any kind of reasonable reach. And, as it turned out, that was his normal working condition.
So, although I have some suspicions, I have no direct knowledge of what problems the politically selected sheriff of El Dorado County has with the Forest Service, but I know that those Forest Service Law Enforcement guys (and, I suppose, gals) are doing their job under far bigger risks than most professional law enforcement officers would tolerate. I’d give them a break before I started making unproven assumptions.
Search “USFS Kenny Marcus” and details come to light.
Copper, this is about 1 guy, maybe two. And ENF refused to do anything about him. This guy wrote a ticket because a guy had three old pieces of firewood in the back of his truck but no permit. Literally three pieces of wood. So finally after years of complaints the sheriff finally did the right thing.
From another article posted recently here it sounds like the EDC Sherrif’s office should ask the Citrus Heights Police Department to stand down.
Thanks Romie and John, I wasn’t aware of that situation. I suppose my comment about Forest Service Officers having to work independently and alone has other ramifications – such as working unsupervised with neither guidance nor monitoring from supervisors. It sounds like the Sheriff may be taking the only road available to him in dealing with a recalcitrant federal agency. I would imagine that, if he wasn’t in touch with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Sacramento before, they’re in touch with him now.
To the extent that this pertains to people shooting on public lands……………..I am a hiker and am out on public lands almost daily. My companions and I have many times walked into an area where people are shooting. Usually with trees and hills, we cannot see who is shooting or what they are shooting at. Its frightening to keep walking because you have no idea where the bullets are going. Attempts to communicate with the shooters are futile in that open environment. Several times we have turned around rather than risk being hit. Once, on the road up to the Freel/TRT trailhead, an entire swat team was practicing. Imagine our reaction when 10 to 12 high powered rifles went off in unison. We fell to our knees wondering who this was and why there was this much firepower out on a hiking trail! When we encountered the shooters we asked then who they were and why they were out in an area where hikers, bikers and other recreationists were out and about. Without offering any identification, they said they were a swat team out training. Really? They had no badges or anything else that would identify them as a law enforcement entity. Not that it would have mattered much…….it was unsettling at best and ruined any thought of peaceful enjoyment of the outdoors—let alone any thought of seeing wildlife. Guns should be used at appropriate sites like rifle ranges. Please don’t poo-poo my concerns as gun violence is a scary part of our society. Just one shooter can ruin an entire hiking area for walkers and their families. These pursuits should be separated appropriately for safety, peaceful enjoyment of the outdoors and protection of the environment. Wildlife is driven from any area with shooters and “targets” such as trees are destroyed. This needs to be addressed as it is happening more and more in our local hiking areas. Comments?
Sounds like this Kenny Marcus needs to go, let hope they don’t send him to the tahoe basin, Ca. Or Nv.
Think about Hal Barker and his love for the BOS, and wondering if the Feds had been in contact with Ray Nutting. Apparently the Deputies and the Fed officers had no conflict
Here is some more info relating to the problem with the Feds:
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/06/27/el-dorado-sheriffs-fight-with-feds-likely-over-residents-carrying-guns/
Yep It’s OBs Fault ! Going way way back !!!
I am a VERY STONG advocate for second amendment rights. The Latest round of CA gun laws (Specifically Banning open carry ANYWHERE) really pisses me off. that said, I cannot think of anyplace in the Tahoe Basin where target shooting would be a safe good idea. when I was a Kid I shot in the five Lakes area. Near Cloud 9 above Incline and off of 267 (Broadway area. But the day use by hikers MTB Horse back, etc has exploded the past few decades. There is no safe place to discharge a rifle or pistol in the Tahoe Basin. Shotgun is doable but not the others there are people moving around everywhere in summer. May adjust the rules based on season,
The article doesn’t say anything about target shooting. A LOT of us carry weapons for protection when we are in the woods camping, riding, fishing, whatever. There are predators out there, especially 2-legged ones. The officer doesn’t have the right to check people for weapons simply because they are there. And that’s what he was doing. He’s only got the right to enforce Federal law on Federal property, not state law, unless the Sheriff allows it. And that privilege is about to be pulled because one officer was a bit power mad. It happens.
I don’t understand how people think that they are more likely to be murdered while out camping/hiking/fishing…. its a simple numbers game.
And think they are going to shoot a mountain lion…
Fear is a great means of controlling people.
Yes, fish; the Feds use fear against the people very effectively.
Hey Dogula You must be referring to the gang of three
Cheney,Rummy and Bush. Think back please.