July 9, 2007

Letters: Harbor Patrol editorial founders on several points

Letters to the Editor for July 9

The writer of the editorial, "Don't rock their boat" [July 5], about the Harbor Patrol debate, should have done more research. It argues that if O.C. taxpayers are expected to pay for Harbor Patrol services, we should also pay for police in Fullerton because of the university and Santa Ana because of all the county facilities.

As a matter of fact, we do.

California State University, Fullerton, is patrolled by the Cal State University Police, an agency funded by state taxpayers. County facilities in Santa Ana are patrolled by the O.C. sheriff's staff, who handle all calls for service in county areas and facilities. This is why the Orange County Sheriff's Department handles Harbor Patrol services – because the sheriff is legally mandated to patrol the entire county coastline, not just one individual harbor.

And Supervisor Chris Norby's "persuasive case" for switching services from the county to individual cities apparently failed to impress the Huntington Beach City Council, which voted unanimously last week to reject his proposal to burden its city's taxpayers with the financial responsibility of patrolling Sunset Harbor. Why doesn't the Register ask why supposed conservative supervisors Chris Norby and John Moorlach seem so intent on creating multiple government agencies to do the job of one?

John Hollenbeck of Tustin