News of Congressman Josh Harder’s recent ride along with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office was met with both fanfare and contempt this week on the agency’s social media pages.
But in the eyes of San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow, Harder’s presence was a chance for the agency to show a top local elected official exactly what goes on in an average day for law enforcement and that served as a valuable opportunity.
“We got a lot of different feedback on our social media – some positive, some negative – but all that I can say is that anytime we can get our elected officials to come out and see what we’re actually doing on the street instead of just going and voting on things without having that knowledge it’s better for us,” Withrow said. “I really appreciate Congressman Harder for coming out and doing that – we don’t always agree on everything, but we appreciate him taking the time to come out and see what our officers are going through on a daily basis, and then he can base his decisions on that.”
Withrow made the comments during his monthly video address as sheriff that was released this week.
Harder, a Democrat that twice voted to impeach President Trump, generated mild controversy in the comments section on the agency’s Facebook page because of his voting record and what some residents perceived to be a disingenuous visit with the county’s largest law enforcement agency – albeit with no evidence to back that up.
Other residents were thrilled to see Harder – who grew up in Stanislaus County – spending time in neighboring San Joaquin County which comprises a large portion of California’s 10th Congressional District that he has represented since 2018 when he defeated incumbent Jeff Denham and then defended the seat against Ted Howze in 2020.
Withrow’s monthly address to the residents of San Joaquin County was the first that he has done in two months – noting that the death of Stockton Police officer Jimmy Inn dominated his schedule last month as it did for most law enforcement agencies in the county.
The video updates are part of Withrow’s commitment to ensuring transparency in his agency and allowing residents of the county to be aware of what is going on in the place that they call home.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
