GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office will not enforce any mask or vaccination mandates.
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel published the following message on August 26, 2021:
On August 27th, 2021 Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an indoor mask mandate and more recently an outdoor mask mandate where social distancing is not feasible. We are now hearing of mandatory vaccination mandates for sections of our workforce including healthcare workers, educational employees and the Oregon State Police. The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office has been receiving numerous requests as to my stance on these issues.
When elected into the Office of Sheriff by the citizens of Josephine County, I took an oath to support the Constitutions of the State of Oregon and the United States of America. I stand firm on my oath and consider it my responsibility to protect Josephine County citizens from what I consider “over reach”. I am a conservator of the peace and it is my responsibility to protect our citizen’s Rights, Freedoms and Liberties.
While recently there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases, I believe these mandates should be a local and personal choice. I have found our Public Health Department and County Physician to be on top of what is best for our citizens by advising best practices for us all. Local control and personal choice are two issues I firmly believe in. As a result, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office will NOT be enforcing any mandatory mask or vaccination mandates. We will however, remain Conservators of the Peace and respond accordingly to incidents that may arise from such mandates but will not address the mandates specifically.
It is not my intent to stand on a “soap box” and disrespect our state officials. I believe they are doing what they think is right, just as I am in this brief letter. It is however, my intent to stand on the firm soil of Josephine County and represent our citizens. In closing, I leave it up to you. Conduct research, seek advice from physicians, make an educated decision on what is best for you and your families, be courteous to others and respect their personal decisions just as you request their respect for your own. We are a strong county and together we will prevail and get through these trying times.
Respectfully,
Sheriff Dave Daniel
Josephine County
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