City of Eureka Press Release on SB 833

On Friday, April 4, 2014 Eureka City Council Member Melinda Ciarabellini led a team
of city officials to Ontario, California to attend the League of California Cities' Public
Safety Policy Committee* meeting. They were present to push for the committee's
support of Senate Bill 833 - Jail Releases (D-Liu). This bill will enhance public safety by
providing county jails with an alternative to late night jail releases. The bill would
authorize the Sheriff to offer a voluntary program to prisoners to stay in jail on the day of
their release, up to 16 hours or until normal daytime business hours. After discussion and
presentations by Council Member Ciarabellini and Eureka Police Chief Andrew Mills,
the committee voted unanimously to support SB 833 if amended to include additional
liability language recommended by the California State Sheriff's Association.

Council Member Ciarabellini spoke at the conference explaining to other elected officials
the need to support this bill. "While in my opinion it does not go far enough, it is a solid
step in the right direction. We need to provide a mechanism for safely releasing people
from the jails, while at the same time provide some legal protection to the Sheriff. I'll be
bringing this back to the City Council for discussion and with my recommendation to
write a letter of support on behalf of the City," Ciarabellini said.

Eureka Police Chief Andrew Mills, also present, told the group that discharging people at
nighttime is not an effective procedure. "It is vital to crime prevention that the committee
think about when to release prisoners. Daylight hours bring a higher level of 'natural
surveillance.' That is, people make rational choices to commit or avoid crime based on
personal risk. Criminals are more inclined to think twice about committing a crime when
there are more people who can prevent, report or suppress the criminal act. Releasing
people during daylight provides a higher level of natural surveillance. This bill is a good
first step in this process."

City Attorney Cyndy Day-Wilson was present to lobby for the jail release bill and also
attended the Legal Advocacy Committee meeting as the city attorney representative for
the Redwood Empire Region.

* The Public Safety Policy Committee reviews both federal and state legislation and
issues and makes recommendations to the League of California Cities' Board of
Directors related to law enforcement and other public safety issues.


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