by Mendy Schuster
Mayor of Susanville
I have seen the posts, heard the complaints and been asked many times about why the Susanville City Council does not act immediately on criminal acts. I thought it was time to explain:
City councils are legislative bodies and cannot be involved in criminal matters. Crimes in Susanville are investigated by Susanville Police Department and could eventually be brought to the court by the Lassen County District Attorney.
Legislative branches and judicial branches have to stay separate. Should city council get involved, it could undermine the separation of powers.
City council cannot manage or directly intervene in day-to-day operations of city employees which, for Susanville Police Department, includes criminal investigations. City council’s involvement could compromise an investigation.
When a crime happens and you find the city council not speaking to the incident, it does not mean we don’t care. It means we are staying in our legislative lane to make sure justice is served.
Until next time….
