A California sheriff said Friday he would not arrest anyone violating stay-at-home state orders because it is “time to get back opening up.”
The statement comes from Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who previously stated his case Tuesday in front of the county’s board of supervisors, who were considering whether to lift some coronavirus pandemic measures.
“You just can’t arrest somebody for going out and exercising in public or not wearing a mask,” he said in an interview with Fox News.
Bianco said he thinks the government should not be permitted to close individual businesses, saying that every job is essential to somebody, according to the interview.
“They want me to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens that are, you know, trying to support a family,” Bianco said. “It doesn’t make sense anymore.
“At the same time, they are trying to force me to release real criminals from jail,” he said, as the state recently released seven sex offenders in Orange County due to concerns that they might test positive for COVID-19.
The sheriff added that California residents “don’t need the government being our parents,” noting that previously projected case numbers are not as high as early models suggested.
A press release published by the county in late April stated that Riverside would abide by California’s stay-at-home orders as of May 1, detailing that some outdoor recreational activities could resume in the county.