NEVADA CITY, Calif. June 9, 2017 – Captain Shannan Moon officially announced her candidacy for Nevada County Sheriff yesterday to an overflow crowd at the Ol’ Republic in Nevada City. Introduced by her visibly proud father and former Nevada City Police Chief Jim Moon, the 27-year law enforcement veteran addressed a large and very diverse crowd.
Moon started by thanking her family and friends for their support and went to explain why she was running. She joked that when asked why she was running was akin to asking why would you jump off a cliff. “I have no problem jumping off a cliff because I know you will be there to catch me,” she quipped. “Nobody can do this alone. Anybody who knows me also knows I’m the product of amazing parenting, thank you mom and dad. They have taught me and my brothers and sisters what it means to unconditionally love. That’s where it started. After that, working at the Sheriff’s Office since I was 22 years old, I can absolutely say I grew up in that office. Working for four Sheriffs gives me a perspective that not to many people get. Each one of these Sheriffs has mentored and supported me.”
Reduce harm
Moon stated her main focus will be to reduce harm in the community. “For me, the reduction of harm means working hand in hand with the community. It means outreach to the community, getting involved and getting in front of issues and not being so reactive to crime, but being proactive.”
Being jail commander has shown her the “revolving door” behavior all too common these days. “I am as frustrated as the community,” she said. “When people are in our custody, we have to make sure they have every opportunity afforded to them so that they don’t come back.” Programs like the jail to community re-entry program need to be in place “so that we don’t continue the cycle. We will give them the resources that they hopefully will use when they get out. Part of that is accountability, you have to set standards… it’s very similar to parenting.”
Reflecting on her perspective on law enforcement, she recalled one of her first calls as a patrol officer, the HEW shooting on Jan. 10, 2001. “A subject who was mentally ill and not on his medication decided to wreak havoc on our community.” Remembering the cooperation of all law enforcement agencies on that day and the tragic outcome of the incident (three dead and three wounded) Moon somberly stated “Working on that case truly set me up with a perspective of people in a mental health crisis… Making sure that we reduce harm, keeping that as our focus and making sure that our officers are prepared for dealing with people with mental illness.” She cited de-escalation training, hostage negotiation training to defuse an escalating situation. “Talking with people so it gives them a choice – instead of forcing a violent act on a police officer or a deputy sheriff.”
Cannabis
Turning to the current hot issue item, Moon shared her stance on cannabis. “Cannabis is not an emerging industry here, cannabis and marijuana have been grown in our community for decades. What does that mean for the Sheriff’s Office moving forward? Proposition 64 passed. It’s the will of the people – what legal, safe cannabis looks like. The Sheriff’s Office will be very focused on making sure the illegal cannabis in this community is our priority. The legal, safe cannabis will be regulated by the state. A lot of the issues we’re seeing in the community will be addressed by the state regulations.” She listed water source pollution as a big concern in the community and the environmental impacts/hazards with pesticides and damage done to the earth. “If the regulations regulate and it’s licensed, then it’s legal. If it’s not licensed, then guess what – it’s illegal and the Sheriff’s Office will absolutely use resources to make sure we keep our community safe. That’s my stance on cannabis.”
More info
Shannan Moon is the second candidate to enter the race. Retired Grass Valley Police Chief John Foster announced his candidacy in 2016. You can find more information on both candidates here: