Sheriff Ian Parkinson has perpetuated injustice at the hands of the Sheriff’s department in San Luis Obispo County. His lack of leadership and disregard for those under his supervision has been a hallmark of his tenure. His failure of oversight caused the death of Andrew Holland in January of 2017 while he was in custody at the County Jail after being strapped in a restraint chair for 46 hours during a mental health episode. During Parkinson’s tenure, another jail inmate, Kevin Lee McLaughlin, died in April of 2017 after his complaints of heart attack symptoms were ignored.

On July 6th, he gave a speech at a North San Luis Obispo County Tea Party meeting in which he downplayed the need to wear masks during the Covid-19 epidemic and confirmed that he would not hand out fines to businesses or individuals who did not wear masks or enforce the Governor’s mask mandate. This is clearly a dereliction of his responsibility and puts us all at further risk of contracting and spreading the disease. During the speech, he went on to promise he would “bring the posse to town” if Black Lives Matter protests became violent. Parkinson’s irresponsible use of this inflammatory language ignited an angry protest which escalated and resulted in the violence he claims to want to stop.

He went further, claiming that he has “never seen any indication that systemic racism exists in this county.” As a white person, this is likely the case, but as sheriff, he is responsible for reaching out to communities of color and hearing their experiences. He has not responded to requests by the local NAACP chapter to meet and discuss recent issues, and the result is a refusal to try to understand the experience of Black community members regarding local law enforcement structures. By dismissing the notion out of hand, he is perpetuating the cycle of systemic racism.

Sheriff Ian Parkinson has been ineffective and incompetent. He has clearly politicized his office and has made a mockery of justice in our county. His cavalier attitude towards his responsibilities has resulted in the deaths of at least two jail inmates and his words have exacerbated unrest. We need a sheriff who listens and responds to the needs of all constituents, not just to a small, ultra-partisan faction.