Staffing and Data Needs Hold Center Stage at Second Shasta County Public Safety Meeting

3.27.25 9:50 am: We have updated the article to correct a name and title and update a quote.

“I spend my days, nights, weekends and vacations thinking about the unique and terrible ways that people hurt children,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Deanne Elliot told Supervisors Monday night, March 24 during the County’s second meeting devoted to public safety.

Elliot explained that she’s the only County attorney assigned to prosecute cases related to child sexual assault, possession of child pornography, and human trafficking. Last year, she said, she worked multiple back-to-back trials, all of them resulting in convictions (cumulatively totaling) 1,000 years to life.”

“This is not just a job. This is a calling,” Elliot continued. “I am honored to be able to work with survivors through the court process to get them to a place where they can testify about the worst thing that has ever happened to them, in front of a room full of strangers and the person that did it to them.”

Elliot was just one of a number of deputy DA’s who spoke to the Board during public comment. They attested, in a series of unique and personal testimonies, to the critical need for more staff and better pay.

The special meeting was held as a follow-up to a prior Board discussion on the topic, during which Supervisors heard in-depth presentations from the heads of the various agencies involved in Shasta County’s criminal justice system.

Staffing Needs Continue to Dominate Public Safety Conversation

From opposite ends of the court process, both District Attorney (DA) Stephanie Bridgett and Public Defender (PD) Ashley Jones advocated strongly for additional finances for staffing. They agree that the long hours and low wages significantly contribute to a current staffing crisis. 

Given the high prosecutorial needs created by Shasta County’s “proactive policing” approaches, Bridgett pledged to continue to fight for the additional resources her department needs. She reiterated what she had told the Board at the last meeting, insisting that her number one priority is a larger team. Recruiting and retaining staff, she said, is a matter of the Board allocating the proper financial resources. Meanwhile, Bridgett said, she’s rolling out a peer support and wellness program next week to help staff sustain morale under their crushing work load. 

“The way I see it,” Bridgett told the Board, “our attorneys are already working nights, weekends. They’re taking work on their vacations. So they’re working really, really, really hard. We can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip.”

Here’s Where Data and Records Management Needs Stand

Supervisors Kevin Crye, Allen Long, and Matt Plummer all raised questions about data, some of which highlighted systemic gaps within the Public Defender’s Office and across law enforcement agencies.

Newly-appointed Public Defender Ashley Jones said her agency currently lacks an effective case management system that efficiently communicates  with the DA’s Office. Purchasing and integrating such a system, Jones said, is a top priority.

In contrast, DA staff told the Board that the Department’s internal case management system works well, and explained an in-progress project that will provide an accessible data dashboard to the public. That project is slated to roll out by January 2026. 

On the law enforcement side, Redding Police Chief Brian Barner and Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson both emphasized shortcomings in the County’s criminal justice data management system. Newly-appointed Anderson Police Department Chief Oliver Collins agreed, taking the issue further by recommending the County overhaul the records management system to facilitate more efficient information sharing between police, dispatchers and the DA. 

“It’s not going to be a cheap fix, but it will be a fix,” Collins said, emphasizing that the investment will pay off in strong, data-driven policing.

Integrating the Community Corrections Partnership

Probation Chief Traci Neal responded to a series of questions from Supervisor Allen Long about the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), a Brown-Act moderated group that’s been in existence for about fifteen years and which includes the heads of all the criminal justice agencies.

Long noted that CCP already includes all the “subject matter experts” on public safety issues. In response, Neal agreed to bring issues related to data management to the CCP’s attention during the next meeting on June 18. 

Addressing Root Causes

Relatively little attention was paid to addressing the root causes of crime, particularly the kind of low-level crimes that RPD Chief Barner recently told the Redding Council are among the top public safety concerns of the Redding community. Those concerns include homeless encampments, retail theft and traffic. 

Supervisors asked questions about whether a “chronic offender” program that used to exist within the County could be brought back. Implemented under Sheriff Bosenko in cooperation with local police chiefs and the DA, the program designated nine jail beds for those who had been repeatedly arrested then released pending a court date.

Public Defender Jones said as supervisors consider how to respond to public safety demands involving low level crimes committed by what she referred to as “frequent flyers,” they should consider the root causes of criminal behavior. 

“I know some of you were at the Behavioral Health Court graduation this week,” Jones said. “The individuals who are participating in that court or in the Addictive Offender Program, or some of the other collaborative programs we have going on were people who were very much ‘frequent flyers,’ who are now productive citizens, contributing to this community and helping to get other people to exit the justice system.”

“We’re not going to be able to prosecute our way out of homelessness,” Jones warned. “We’re not going to be able to prosecute our way out of mental illness and substance abuse… But if we can start addressing those needs, then we can hopefully reduce crime to make our community a safer place.”

Next Steps Remain Unknown 

Supervisors didn’t discuss how they will apply the findings shared during the meeting. Feedback from the community during public comment made clear that many believe the responsibility for improving public safety conditions lies with the Board, which must find ways to meet the community’s practical needs with financial resources.

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