One of the primary roles of government is to protect its citizenry. Ronald Reagan said,  “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” We in Medford and  Jackson County are blessed to have some of the best law enforcement officers in the state  of Oregon. Based on my background, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I am an  adamant supporter of law enforcement and public safety in general. 

We live in an area where the vast majority of us support law enforcement. We have local  elected officials who support law and order, with the exception of a small handful. This  support is vital for the success of law enforcement and the safety of our community. It is  this type of support that ensures department budgets and thwarts defund the police  efforts, ensuring that our officers are supplied with the latest equipment and best training,  which in turn keeps us all safer. 

We must continue this support. As our region changes and grows in population, we will  continue to see big city problems impact our communities. It is vastly important that we  continue our steadfast support for local law enforcement to ensure we do not spiral into  the levels of criminality we see in larger communities in our state and on the West Coast. 

We will likely see some level of improvement from the recent passage of Ballot Measure  110 reform. However, it is vital for our community to address our jail overcrowding and lack  of residential addiction services and mental health treatment to achieve even greater crime  reductions. These are issues that need to be addressed locally as well as on a state level. 

As citizens of Jackson County, it is imperative that we all continue our overwhelming  support for law enforcement and if you see criminal activity, please report it. The fastest  way to artificially reduce crime rates is to not report a crime or to cut police budgets. Crime  would still be occurring; it just would not be reported or would not be investigated as there  would be fewer police to investigate criminal activity reactively or proactively. Reporting  criminal activity is critically important to ensure we have the appropriate levels of law  enforcement to meet our community’s needs. 

Together we can continue to work to make our community safer and the best place in  Oregon to live, work, and raise a family.