LAT:
The county has an estimated population of more than 65,000 and covers almost 3,000 square miles, according to census data. Largely rural, about the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, Tehama County stretches from the Sacramento Valley east to the Sierra Nevada.
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The Tehama County Deputy Sheriff’s Assn. placed the blame squarely on the county’s Board of Supervisors in an angry Facebook post.
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The five-member board pushed back in a statement last week, stating that the county has responded with steep wage increases in order to retain and attract personnel. Deputy sheriffs have received pay increases totaling 41.8% over the last five years, including a 22.8% increase approved by the board on Nov. 8.
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“What is new is a willingness to publicize this structural weakness to criminals right before the holiday season and declare open season on our law-abiding residents and visitors.”
The board also expressed concern that the announcement “encourages vigilantism.”