Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson took to his Facebook page this evening to call out what he sees as an increasingly hostile and threatening atmosphere concerning the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction, which operates a needle exchange program in the city of Eureka and has been one of the most intense subjects of controversy in the city for a couple of years now.

HACHR is holding a picnic at Sequoia Park tomorrow, and Watson says that the Eureka Police Department will be on hand to ensure that peace is kept.

EPD will be present and per my orders will not allow anyone to disturb the peace, threaten, harass, intimidate, trespass, assault or otherwise unlawfully disrupt the event. I understand this may upset some people who may want a face-to-face confrontation (hopefully none of you) but the badge and oath we uphold applies to ALL people regardless of their beliefs. We would do the same for you.

See Watson’s full Facebook post below: