Harm Reduction and Criminal Drug Activity

Humboldt County has maintained the highest drug overdose mortality rate, over the national average, for many consecutive years. While HACHR claims “harm reduction,” the fact remains that Narcan alone contributes to the 40% decrease in that mortality rate but does not bring us below the national average, and still does not address the problem of criminal drug addiction; rather feeding it directly. 

Our local business owners are the ones suffering. Knife-wielding outside of shops, doors piled with fecal matter and urine before they open business, open drug deals, customers accosted, reducing hours just to avoid it. They are told they are not only responsible for moving these fecal/urine-infested campouts every morning before they open, but they also have to pay for the garbage removal. This is absurd and puts them in all kinds of direct harm. For those stating the “homelessness issue is only in Old Town” is absurd and, quite frankly, inconsiderate. Get outside, it’s all the way through Myrtletown and Cutten.

There has been a complete lack of initiative when it comes to criminal drug addiction during your time as Mayor. They don’t want housing, they want drugs, paraphernalia, and lack of law. This puts our local business owners in direct harm of aggressive, drug-induced behavior, and biohazardous materials.

Kim, criminal drug activity plagues our community; what is your harm reduction plan for our productive community members, and what do you plan to do about the widespread criminal drug addiction problem that has been allowed to run rampant here?

As your mayor, I have very limited control over policy decisions. In the beginning I supported HACHR and believed that their mission was to reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as AIDS and Hep C. After their move to 3rd Street, I learned that the behavior of HACHR did not match what they were saying. I made every effort as a council person to regulate HACHR and how they performed in our city.

The city sent a letter to California Department of Public Health (CDPH) requesting regulatory action. CDPH maintained the status quo with HACHR and even removed the need for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Councilmember Heidi Messner and I met with CDPH in Sacramento to discuss regulatory solutions. CDPH maintained the same status quo and offered ideas such as an advisory committee and a syringe regulation ordinance regarding reporting. The city at that time did both. As a councilmember I voted against HACHR many times and do not at all support them in any way.

Harm reduction programs are regulated by the state of California. As a councilmember or mayor, we have very limited regulatory control. If a private property owner is amenable to renting their property to a harm reduction program, the city cannot violate state law and prohibit their existence in our City. I would say that any council or mayor candidate who speaks to having regulatory control over harm reduction programs is either uninformed or disingenuous. 

I will continue to work together with Eureka Police, our Uplift Team, Crisis Alternative Response (CARE), community partners such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Betty Chinn, local pastors, local treatment facilities, St. Vincent de Paul (Free Meal), Rescue Mission, NAMI Humboldt and others who are dedicated to making a difference in our community every day. Through my Mayor’s Initiative on Mental Health, I will continue to educate folks on substance use disorder and mental health in our community. I will not support groups that have been less than honest and have done more harm than good. Thank you for the question, Evelyn. If you’d like to talk further, please give me a call, 707-616-2178.