###

Humboldt sheriff deputies will soon be the newest stars of “On Patrol: Live,” a reality television series that follows on-duty law enforcement officers in real-time. 

At today’s meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a one-year access agreement with Half Moon Pictures, LLC, the production company behind “On Patrol: Live,” despite hesitation among some board members. Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked to change his vote after the votes were cast, but his request was denied.

Appearing via Zoom, Humboldt Sheriff William Honsal told the board that the show would give his department an opportunity to “highlight the professional law enforcement services” it provides and, ideally, bring in more potential recruits. 

Honsal | Screenshot

“I think this is an opportunity for us to highlight Humboldt County … and also talk about how California law enforcement is different [from other states],” Honsal said. “[W]e hold people accountable, but we also are all about building trust with our community. This is another layer that we can present to our community and to highlight, again, the professional services that we do here.” 

Honsal noted that the agreement would be a “trial run,” adding later in the meeting that the county would have 45 days to terminate its contract with the production company. “If everything works, you know, we can do an additional year,” he said.

Citing concerns brought up in the Outpost’s previous reporting on the subject, Wilson asked what kind of precautions the sheriff’s office and the producers of the show would take to ensure camera crews did not distract deputies from their duties. 

“The cameramen do have some strict guidelines that they are not to interfere, that they’re to be on the sidelines viewing from an area that is accessible to the public,” Honsal responded. “They’re not going to go into people’s homes without consent. … They don’t have the same ability to go into private areas as law enforcement does, so they have to hang on the street and in public areas.”

Asked to address concerns around liability, Honsal said the sheriff’s office would “share that liability” with the production company. The terms of the agreement stipulate that the producer must maintain workers’ compensation insurance for its own employees and general commercial liability insurance that includes the County of Humboldt as “an additional insured” party.

“They [the producers] are reputable, they are professional and they do know their stuff, so that’s why I’m willing to go into this agreement with them – as long as the county agrees with it,” Honsal said. “I think this is a really good show that highlights what’s going on around the country with crime and law enforcement. I think it [will provide] a real, first-hand view of what our deputies are facing out there on the street. … I believe this is a positive thing. I believe that it is ultimately going to be a great thing for Humboldt County.”

Wilson | Screenshot

Wilson thanked Honsal for answering his questions but said he had a “different view” on the subject matter. “I don’t know if it’s given me a lot of confidence, but I appreciate your thoughts on that,” he said.

Similarly, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo said she was “a little anxious” about “potential reputational harm” to the county. However, she said she could also understand that the show could be an effective recruiting tool, adding, “I know a few people [who] have gone into law enforcement because they saw a show like this … and it seemed like an exciting and interesting career.”

“I understand that this type of show has evolved from the stuff I saw as a kid, [which was] probably intended more to shock,” Arroyo continued. “It’s probably more realistic now. … I think I’ll just say, I’m putting confidence in you to make a good recommendation to us.”

“If I didn’t have total confidence in them, I wouldn’t be in a position to promote this access agreement,” Honsal responded. 

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone did not directly address the agreement with Half Moon Pictures but said he looked forward to hearing Honsal’s response to the recent Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury report that called for additional civilian oversight over the Sheriff’s Office.

Bohn said the TV show would give the county a chance to “showcase the men and women of our sheriff’s department who do a great job.” He quipped that he “didn’t see anybody pushing back when Murder Mountain” was being filmed in the county, adding that Netflix docuseries was “not a good representation of Humboldt.”

The request to approve the agreement appeared on the board’s consent calendar, which is typically approved in one motion unless an item is pulled for discussion. Well, the item wasn’t technically pulled for discussion before it was discussed, which resulted in a confusing back and forth among board members. Wilson said he wanted to approve the consent calendar, but not the access agreement with Half Moon Pictures. He tried to make a motion to that effect, which was seconded by Madrone.

Annoyed that the item wasn’t pulled at the beginning of the meeting, Bohn and Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell voted against the motion. County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes informed the board that a couple items on the consent calendar required a 4/5th vote. 

Eventually, Arroyo made a motion to approve the entire consent calendar, which was seconded by Bushnell. Right after the 5-0 vote passed, Wilson asked to change his vote to ‘no’ because “that was the whole point,” but his request was denied.

“Let everybody know that Mike is opposed to it, though, in heart and soul,” Bohn said.

###

Check back tomorrow for more coverage of today’s Board of Supervisors meeting!