To counter recent legislation that would step up penalties on petty crimes, a group of progressive state lawmakers yesterday offered a rival approach, focusing instead on more services for offenders and survivors of crimes.

They are backing a new legislative package — dubbed “#SmartSolutions” — to address retail theft, fentanyl abuse and support for crime survivors.

The proposals come amid the ongoing tension among Democrats, who are split over how to address the growing public concern about crime, even though statistics paint a mixed picture. For example, retail theft rose in recent years but still remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2022, according to an analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Some Democratic legislators and local officials — eager to show they are acting especially during an election year — have advocated for tougher sentences for retail theft or backed a ballot measure to roll back Proposition 47, a voter-approved measure in 2014 that raised the felony threshold for shoplifting to $950.

Others, however, argue that raising penalties and undoing Prop. 47 could mean California is reverting back to the tough-on-crime policies in the 1980s and the 1990s that led to mass incarceration.

“Some lawmakers have responded (to retail theft) by pushing policies that solely focus on punitive measures that deepen our crisis of mass incarceration at a time when California has pledged to walk away from it and dismantle it,” said state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, a Los Angeles Democrat.

Smallwood-Cuevas is sponsoring two bills that would require counties to set up diversion programs for theft-related offenses and increase staffing at grocery store checkout counters.

“I’m not saying that we are not going to be holding folks accountable to the actions that they take,” she said at a state Capitol press conference this morning where three other legislators spoke. “We will not rely on incarceration as a solution, but rather look for ways to build training, create career skills, build industry networks that drive our folks into contribution to our communities.”

Also this morning, two bills toughening state law around petty crimes, such as retail thefts and the “smash-and-grabs,” cleared the Senate Public Safety Committee. They are part of the “Safer California Plan” championed by new Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a Santa Rosa Democrat.

Under Senate Bill 1242, introduced by Sen. Dave Min, an Irvine Democrat who is running for Congress, those who set fire during organized retail theft might face harsher penalties for reckless arson at the discretion of the judge.

Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers’ Association, which supports the bill, pointed to a September incident where a woman set fire in a Target to steal baby formula. “When these businesses fall victim to arson, it not only results in financial loss but disrupts the local economy, leading to job losses and decline in community morale,” she said during the committee hearing. “Stronger penalties serve as a deterrent to potential offenders and help protect both property and human life.”

Another bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, would create new crimes for those who break into vehicles to steal and for those who steal and try to sell more than $950 worth of items. The bill would fix the “locked doors loophole” in state law, which currently requires district attorneys to prove the doors to a car or a house were locked when prosecuting burglars, Wiener said.

Carl Nicita, principal legislative liaison for the San Francisco Police Department, said that requirement is hard to meet: “Victims are often asked to testify in court that their vehicle was locked. But when a victim is a tourist or a visitor, as is often the case in San Francisco, it can be very difficult to secure the testimony of a victim because they live elsewhere.”

The bill, Nicita said during the hearing, would “send a message that, if you break into cars, you will be held accountable.”

Several other bills on retail theft that would increase penalties or give law enforcement more authority have not had a hearing yet. Assembly Bill 1990, by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, a Los Angeles Democrat, would allow police officers to make warrantless arrests on misdemeanors of shoplifting offenses, even if they were not present when the alleged crime occurred.

SB 923, from Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Norwalk Democrat, would subject shoplifters with multiple prior convictions to as long as three years behind bars. The bill was scheduled for a hearing yesterday but was then rescheduled for Apr. 16.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

A major magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan’s east coast just before 5 p.m. PST., causing buildings to collapse and prompting tsunami warnings in Japan, China and the Philippines. The quake was the strongest to affect the island in 25 years. 

Here stateside, the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services said there is no imminent tsunami threat to our coasts.

“There is no tsunami danger to the U.S. West Coast, including Humboldt County,” Humboldt OES said. 

Read more about the quake at the BBC. 

Press release from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority:

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s local electric bicycle voucher program starts today. This voucher program aims to cut E-Bike prices and all RCEA customers can apply for a voucher valued between $150 - $350. Income-qualified RCEA customers can receive a $500 - $700 voucher, and eligible adaptive E- Bike riders may receive a $1,000 voucher.

Using E-Bikes instead of cars to go to work, visit friends and run errands can help reduce the number of cars on the road. This in turn cuts down on fossil fuel use, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. RCEA staff expect high demand for these E-Bike vouchers and worked with local groups to help income-qualified residents respond quickly at program launch time.

Another program goal is to help customers buy quality, durable E-Bikes that can be maintained and repaired locally. Voucher holders can purchase eligible standard, adaptive, and cargo E-Bikes at one of five participating Humboldt bike shops: Adventure’s Edge, N.E.R.D. Scooters, Pacific Outfitters, Sport & Cycle, and Revolution Bicycles. Visit redwoodenergy.org/e-bikes-information/ to ap\N\Nply for an RCEA E-Bike voucher, learn about income requirements, and see voucher program terms and conditions.

About RCEA

In 2003, the County of Humboldt, the seven cities within the County and Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District formed the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). The Yurok Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria joined RCEA in 2023. RCEA’s purpose is to develop and implement initiatives that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance the use of renewable resources available in the region. For more information, visit redwoodenergy.org.

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Eureka residents love complaining about potholes. Visit any one of the local community groups on social media and you will surely find dozens – or more likely hundreds – of posts and comments about the potholes that plague our streets and the City of Eureka’s failure to get them fixed.

Team LoCO drives around Eureka quite a bit and, sure, there are potholes out there, but is it really that bad? Where are these car-swallowing craters we’re always hearing about? We decided to take matters into our own hands and ask Facebook. In the first hour, we had over 100 comments.

A few of our readers called out a section of N Street between 5th and 14th streets. Several others noted problem areas along Harris and Henderson streets. One playful individual sent us a picture of the drainage hole at the bottom of their terracotta pot. That’s not the kind of pothole we’re talking about, dude!

What is the City of Eureka doing to fix all of these potholes, you ask? Quite a lot actually! Since this most recent dry spell began, crews have laid down over 36 tons of asphalt on various city streets, according to Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery.

“Obviously, we’ve had a very, very rainy winter, and with rain comes road damage,” Slattery told the Outpost in a phone interview. “Up until now, our crews have only been able to go out and do a cold patch, which is basically just a bandaid that takes care of the problem for a short period of time while we wait for the rainy season to pass. … You have to use a hot mix of pavement to fix the potholes appropriately, and that requires good weather.”

If a road gets bad enough, crews have to go in and “completely grind and replace” the road, and that can only be done during dry months, Slattery said.

When asked how the city prioritizes road repairs, Slattery said crews usually try to address high-traffic areas first. 

“We prioritze our streets based on the amount of use, you know, the number of vehicles on the road and where the it is located,” he said. “Sometimes we have a location where patching isn’t gonna work, so we’ll put that on the list to be paved. We also try to address complaints as they come in, but we try to do it strategically so that the potholes we’re working on are in close proximity so we can have all of the hot mix and equipment in one place.”

In the years following the passage of Measure H, the voter-approved 1.25 percent sales tax for road repairs, the city has spent over $2.5 million to repave major corridors. “We’ve done more road work in the past three years than we had done on the previous 10,” Slattery said. 

The city has some big projects coming up this summer, including repaving along Harris Street, H Street south of Harris Street and Myrtle Avenue. The Eureka City Council is expected to discuss some other upcoming projects associated with its 2024 Capital Improvement Program during tonight’s regular meeting. 

“If people are interested in what streets are going to be paved in the next [fiscal] year, they should attend,” Slattery said.

Residents are also encouraged to contact the city with questions and concerns about potholes and other road-related issues. You can make an a report at this link or by calling the Public Works Department at 707-441-4194.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On 3/31/2024, at about 04:30 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 500 block of Pacific Ct. in Trinidad for the report of interrupted burglary with the suspect being detained by a homeowner.

Upon arrival, HCSO deputies found one of the homeowners to be detaining the suspect in the front yard of the residence. The suspect was detained by deputies and later identified as 65-year-old James Kelly. The homeowners reported to deputies that they had been awoken just prior to their 911 call by their dogs barking and the sound of their sliding glass door being opened. Upon investigating the noise, one of the homeowners located Kelly as he appeared to be attempting to exit their property. 911 was called to report the incident and Kelly was detained until law enforcement arrival.

After obtaining statements and conducting their investigation, Kelly was placed under arrest by deputies and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the charge of attempted burglary (PC664/460(a)).

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

UPDATE, Wednesday Morning: The Sheriff’s Office says:

Dellena Wyatt has been located safe. 

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Dellena Wyatt, Age 36

In December of 2023 the family of 36-year-old Dellena Wyatt reported her as a missing person. They had not seen or heard from her since the summer of 2022. She was last seen in the Alderpoint area. Wyatt is described as 5’ 4” tall, 150 lbs., blond/strawberry colored hair, and hazel eyes. She may be suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues and is possibly living a transient lifestyle. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help locating Wyatt. If you have information on Wyatt’s whereabouts, please call Investigator Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024.   

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

PREVIOUSLY: Zane Middle School on Lockdown, Says EPD

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Eureka Police Department release:

On Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at approximately 8:55 am, the Eureka Police Department received notification from Zane Middle School that they had received a Bomb Threat and were going into lockdown. Officers and Detectives responded to the school to secure the campus and conduct the investigation. School officials and Law Enforcement quickly identified three (3) juveniles believed to have been involved in the threat and sequestered them in the office.

The investigation revealed two (2) of the juveniles, males ages 12 and 13, phoned in the threat to the school. School officials and Law Enforcement determined that there were no actual threats to the campus or students and the lockdown was released at approximately 9:28 am. The two juveniles were arrested for Terrorist Threats and Conspiracy and booked at Juvenile Hall.

This type of behavior will not be tolerated and is detrimental to the school environment and to our students’ wellbeing. The Eureka Police Department takes the safety of our schools, students and staff seriously and will address these matters quickly and with all our available resources.

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank the staff and students at Zane for their great work and patience during this lockdown. We would also like to thank the community and parents for their cooperation and allowing us to quickly resolve this issue without disruptions at the campus.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with any additional information is asked to contact EPD School Resource Officer Don Arminio at 707-497-8756.