The short answer to that rhetorical question is YES, and not just in Crescent City and Del Norte County but up and down the Golden State, according to many in the community including across the board law enforcement.Doug Cairns is a life-long Del Norter and career commercial fisherman in Crescent City. Unfortunately, he’s seen some not so welcome changes in Del Norte. Crime is growing worse and Cairns believes criminals are becoming more emboldened in what used to be felony behavior but has been reduced to misdemeanor or infraction status in modern day California.Doug has a fisherman’s warehouse on Elk Valley Road at a little known street called South Bend. Break-ins, thefts and rampant drug abuse and even an occasional dead body are common along Elk Valley Road. #placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');Recently, a vehicle was set afire on South Bend, with the flames narrowly avoiding his building. Cairns steadfastly believes homeless occupants living in the swamps behind his building are responsible for this criminal behavior. Have there been arrests in the camps hidden by behind Elk Valley Road? YES … and those charged are often booked and released. Along Elk Valley Road, crimes seem to be on the rise. Above, the remains of a car that burned on the road can be seen. Photo by Roger Gitlin/The Triplicate Quite naturally, Cairns is upset. He sees no consequence for individuals who commit these crimes. Cairns is not alone in expressing his frustration about the lack of arrests or prosecution of individuals.Cairns staunchly believes criminals are becoming more emboldened for there is no fear of arrest, prosecution or detainment in jail or prison. So, who’s to blame? Who does the public complain to address this deteriorating condition.The Triplicate receives multiple complaints via email and telephone calls, expressing similar frustration in a judicial system which simply does not respond.Law enforcement says its hands are tied in going after the bad guys. State laws, Governor Newsom executive orders and a series of publicly passed propositions have reduced many felonies to misdemeanors or infractions. For instance, shoplifting is rarely prosecuted. Theft victims must show the crime exceeded $850 in value to be considered a felony.Former Sheriff Erik Apperson often shared stories, before entering career law enforcement, about running down shoplifters and stopping wanton theft. That’s a big no-no, today. Recently, a Walmart employee in Crescent City was let go for attempting to stop a shoplifter. Not unexpectedly, criminals are indeed becoming more emboldened.Sheriff Garrett Scott weighed in with his opinion.“The law in the state of California ties the hands of law enforcement at every turn,” Scott said. “The state office of the public defender claims I (Del Norte County) have the highest incarceration rate per capita in the entire state. Within a few months of stepping in as sheriff, I raised the population the jail holds on 30 percent and maxed out our jail population within three weeks, in the interest of public safety. If a suspect is a public threat, they should be in jail. Keeping in mind possession of methamphetamines is no longer a felony, along with fentanyl, misdemeanor crimes. Prop 67 allows serving only half their sentences. Do I agree with these laws? Absolutely not! “We (Del Norte) had 33 overdose deaths, 28 were fentanyl and five were meth deaths. The sheriff is keenly aware of the conditions behind Elk Valley Road. I personally made two burglary arrests, after receiving Mr. Cairns call. My deputies are making arrests in these areas. It’s a huge problem.”Scott recognized supervisors Darrin Short and Dean Wilson who’ve focused on South Bend and Waldo as key criminal areas.Chief Probation Officer Lonnie Reyman said the state operates without considering impact on the counties. Reyman cites the recent COVID era allowing incentivization for early inmate release. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation continues to release serious felons from custody back into the community. Under the premise these convicted felons would be serving longer sentences, Reyman’s Department was unable to prepare for appropriate supervision of the recently-released inmates. Reyman cites Gov. Newsom’s campaign promise to close down three CDCR institutions during the term in which he now serves, further aggravating crime conditions across the 58 counties.Supervisors Wilson and Valerie Starkey share somewhat different opinions. Starkey is a data person and is reluctant to validate social media as an accurate source for evidence of spiked crime conditions worsening. On the other hand, Wilson is emphatic.“The county must build a suitable shelter! This shelter would allow law enforcement to remove those who live behind Elk Valley Road,” said the retired sheriff.The problem is certainly not unique to Crescent City and Del Norte County. This scourge is state-wide.Recently, a retired Oceanside police officer gathered national attention when he stated the problem of systemic homelessness is nor caused by lack of housing. The problem of associated crime on those without home is drug-related. Meth and fentanyl and assorted other drugs are wreaking havoc up and down the state. Civil rights advocates are dumbing down laws and tying the hands of law enforcement, according to former Oceanside officer, Rick Campbell. He states, “California is heading the wrong way and the public is fed up.” Reyman added one more powerful statement when he stated, “The public needs to look within themselves and understand who, what and why they are voting for.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });