EL CAJON, Calif. — San Diego County announced one of its largest enforcement initiatives since the pandemic began on Thursday. Beginning Saturday, the sheriff’s department will join health department compliance officers to more strictly enforcing the public health order, including within incorporated cities.
Previously, the Health and Human Services Agency had relied on cease-and-desist orders and closure notices to enforce the order. Deputies have the power to issue citations.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and San Diego City Attorney have both pledged to prosecute violations.
“This is not our first effort in this area, but I think it does magnify the issue we're faced with. With the numbers going up, our hospital populations increasing, I think it's appropriate we send the message this is a significant problem and enforcement action will be taken if it's necessary,” said Sheriff Bill Gore.
This week, the county issued about as many cease-and-desist orders as it had during the first six months of the pandemic. Fifty-one orders were given this week, including 29 on Monday alone.
Starting on Saturday, eight deputies will be assigned to assist the compliance officers, separated into four teams of two deputies. Gore emphasized they will not be going door-to-door to seek violations. Instead, the county will continue its complaint-based response and will try to get voluntary compliance before issuing citations and closure orders.
Complaints to the county’s hotline spiked during the first two weeks of November. The call center has averaged 74 calls per day, versus less than 50 since it opened.
Previously, compliance officers requested help from local law enforcement when responding to complaints within the county’s 18 incorporated cities. Some have chosen not to assist.
While the county maintains it has always had the authority to enforce the order within these cities, it will begin doing so on Saturday, regardless if a city has not requested the assistance.
“I think the problem has reached such a magnitude that now we feel it's imperative to do it. We're always stronger when we work with our local law enforcement partners in the individual cities. If they're not going to work with us, we are still going to go in and issue the citations,” said Gore.
The cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Diego, Chula Vista and Coronado have agreed to assist as of Thursday afternoon. However, not all cities are welcoming the enforcement within their boundaries.
El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells previously said the city’s police department would consider calls about the health order a “low priority” and planned to leave enforcement to county compliance officers.
“I'm surprised that they're taking this level of action. It borders on totalitarianism,” said Wells.
Several businesses across San Diego planned to defy the health order after San Diego County was moved into the purple tier last week amid rising coronavirus cases. The move required some businesses to operate exclusively outdoors or further restrict indoor capacity.
Wells said El Cajon is not planning to block the county’s compliance teams or file a lawsuit against the move.
“I think just the presence of law enforcement, people with badges and guns coming into it, it does what I have been asking people not to do, and that is to criminalize the people that are involved in the situation,” said Wells. “I understand there's different opinions about this, but these people are not criminals. These are people trying to feed their families.”