Press release
The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the successful completion and graduation of Sergeant Tim Minder and Deputy Scott Minder from the Special Weapons and Tactics Team Training (SWAT) through the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
The completion of this credential allows the Mono County Sheriff’s Office to serve as the operator for the joint Special Enforcement Detail of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bishop Police Department.
Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and Bishop Police Department have
been on the forefront of collaborative efforts to enhance the paucity of law enforcement resources to the Eastern Sierra/Nevada Community.
I would like to thank Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze and Bishop Police Chiefs Chris Carter (Ret.) and current Chief Ted Stec for their forethought in this joint venture.
I also want to acknowledge the Mono County Sheriff’s Office personnel for volunteering for this assignment as a further commitment to public safety in Mono County.
Congratulations Tim and Scott!
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I appreciate Dan for responding. I was going to try to post another wise crack. But we do need some law force up here.
I have to admit that it is hard to believe we have that few of CHP . There seems to be one or two patrol cars posted between Mammoth airport and Crowley all the time?
If Tourbillon believes there is an abundance of law enforcement in the Eastern Sierra, he’s mistaken. Mono County has 3300 square miles and at certain times of the day there is only one CHP two-man car patrolling and no MLPD or MCSO. Northern Inyo County is slightly better with both Bishop and ICSO having scant coverage in the Bishop area, but the rest of the county is under-policed. While it’s true the population is sparse based on its considerable size, the Eastern Sierra is far from being crime free and law enforcement resources are sparse.
Apparently Tourbillon sees a properly trained and equipped SWAT team as militarization of the police. While that may offend him, a SWAT team is not just a bunch of cops wearing fatigues and travelling in a military style vehicle. In over 41 years of law enforcement experience, I personally witnessed many incidents where a SWAT team was able to successfully resolve a barricaded suspect or serve a high risk search warrant at a greatly reduced risk of injury to death. SWAT teams have saved countless lives. And while SWAT may not seem necessary in the Eastern Sierra, I can think of at least two incidents where one was definitely needed but not available in the 4 1/2 years I served as MLPD Chief. It is only by good fortune and good work by dedicated but inadequately trained personnel that the incidents were resolved peacefully.
I believe that Mono County now has two POST trained and certified SWAT officers who will be part of a multi-county team that will train and deploy together is a benefit to all residents and visitors of the Eastern Sierra.
Yet we have military police at the county fair, a half dozen officers flanking the stage at mule days concerts, bring in other agencies for Burning Man checkpoints, and have enough fish and game officers to search every ice cooler on 395.
Folks may want more officers on the streets and even want more officers that are Special Wepons and Tacics trained. They may not want to see the two conflated in the town square or press releases.
“Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and Bishop Police Department have been on the forefront of collaborative efforts to enhance the paucity of law enforcement resources to the Eastern Sierra/Nevada Community.”
“Paucity”? We have a state law enforcement agency constantly patrolling the roads, aided by two county sheriff departments and multiple municipal police forces. In the most sparsely populated region of the state.
And by “enhance” you mean “militarize”. SWAT may have its uses, but use the correct term for it.
Are you kidding? Mono County only has sheriffs on duty half-time. Thankfully we have very little in the way of serious crime on the east side. Complete unreadiness isn’t a good idea.
Another Adam Henry contribution from Tourbillon.