Reniff for sheriff

Since winning election in 2002, Sheriff Perry Reniff has served the people of Butte County well, which is why he has received the endorsement of just about every significant organization, from the Farm Bureau and the Chico Chamber of Commerce to central committees of both the Democratic and Republican parties. He also has the support of all of the police and fire chiefs in the county, the deputy district attorneys’ association, and the associations representing his own deputies and non-sworn staff.

Among Reniff’s many achievements in the Sheriff’s Office, perhaps the most significant is the creation of the county’s Methamphetamine Strike Force. For the first time, efforts to combat the scourge of meth abuse, which is wrecking lives and is behind most of the crime in the county, are coordinated among police, the courts and social-service agencies in a way that greatly magnifies their impact. Check the Web site www.2stopmeth.org to see just how significant the strike force is.

Reniff’s opponent, Don “Hutch” Hutcheson, has attempted to portray the sheriff as a flawed manager who has failed to provide sufficient patrol services, especially in the Magalia area. But that’s been a problem in local mountain communities for many years for the simple reason that the county doesn’t have enough money to provide full service.

Hutcheson also has hurt his own cause by resorting to petty name-calling, referring to Reniff as “Pinocchio Perry” on several occasions because of a disagreement over a single incident. Reniff has objected but hasn’t responded in kind, thereby exhibiting the kind of leadership qualities voters should seek in a sheriff.