Fewer Homicides, Harder Math for Mendocino County Public Safety
Cost of handling homelessness, drug-addiction and street-level crime is rising faster than revenues
Story was cleaned up Jan. 15, 2026, 1:25 a.m. to remove duplicate graphs
Addressing the board of supervisors on Tuesday, a panel of county public safety leaders said the challenges they face are increasingly driven by state policy decisions that shift responsibility to counties without adequate funding. From Proposition 36 to juvenile justice reforms and pretrial requirements, officials said Mendocino County is absorbing new duties and liabilities while operating with flat staffing levels and uncertain revenue, complicating efforts to reduce crime and recidivism.
Sheriff Matt Kendall said his office investigated two homicides last year, a sharp reduction compared with prior years. Kendall cautioned, however, that violent crime figures can mask close calls, noting several shooting victims survived due to advances in emergency medicine.
“We still struggle with homelessness, drug addiction and street-level crime,” Kendall said, adding that thefts, organized burglaries and fraud schemes remain prevalent across the county.
Kendall told supervisors that each homicide costs the county roughly $100,000 to $150,000 in investigative, forensic and overtime expenses, much of which falls on the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office. Cannabis enforcement funds secured through state allocations were largely consumed by homicide investigations this year, he said, and those funds are expected to expire.
Public Defender Mick Hill said untreated mental illness and substance use disorders remain the dominant drivers of repeat contact with the justice system.
“People who are medicated, but they don’t like how their medication makes them feel, often times they will resort to street drugs because they think that makes them feel better and that helps them deal with issues a little bit,” Hill said. “That creates a vicious loop, and they are in and out of jail.”
He credited closer coordination between his office, probation and prosecutors for streamlining diversion programs, including mental health diversion and treatment programs under Proposition 36.
District Attorney David Eyster said Proposition 36 — approved by voters statewide in 2024 — is successful in addressing repeat drug and theft offenses, but he criticized the state for failing to fund the treatment and rehabilitation components required by the law.
Since the law took effect in December 2024, Eyster said his office has filed cases against 134 defendants for repeat drug offenses and about 80 defendants for serial theft. “This passed in all 58 counties,” Eyster said. “Yet the state is refusing to fund the rehabilitation side. That’s a serious problem.”
Eyster also reported that his office reviewed more than 2,500 crime reports in the first half of 2025, a 10% increase from the prior year, while securing an 86% conviction rate in jury trials. He said staffing levels in his office have remained unchanged since 2011.
Chief Probation Officer Izen Locatelli described mounting impacts from state reforms affecting juvenile justice, probation supervision, and pretrial services. Locatelli said probation has conducted more than 100 assessments under Proposition 36 but emphasized the lack of funding and accountability mechanisms.
The purpose of the assessments is to determine whether a person convicted of drug possession is eligible for mandatory drug or mental health treatment instead of incarceration, with successful completion of treatment leading to a dismissal of the case.
“This was an unfunded mandate with no implementation plan,” Locatelli said. He also warned that recent state laws limiting probation terms and closing state youth facilities have shifted costs and responsibility to counties without adequate reimbursement.
“Essentially no youth can be on probation for longer than 12 months,” Locatelli explained. “Doesn’t matter what the crime is. The only way to do that is to have a judge make a finding that it’s in the best interest of the public and the youth to continue after a year.”
Locatelli reported that the county’s pretrial monitoring program continues to show positive outcomes, with about 80% of monitored individuals appearing for court and 70% avoiding new criminal charges while awaiting trial.
Supervisor Ted Williams raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of public safety funding, noting that public safety consumes more than 70% of the county’s discretionary budget while revenues remain largely flat.
Panel members agreed that without changes at the state level, counties will face increasingly difficult choices between maintaining public safety services and funding other essential programs.