In Fort Bragg California, crime hasn’t always been much of a problem. In 2020, the crime rate in Fort Bragg was lower than the national average. Since 2020, the violent crime rate has skyrocketed roughly 150% according to City Data. What happened to Fort Bragg in 2020? Read this article to find out.
In 2020, as most people know, coronavirus emerged. Coronavirus had a major impact on big cities, as department stores were being robbed etc. However, Fort Bragg is a small town that doesn’t have many large department stores. The protest activity in Fort Bragg is also small & has never resulted in businesses being stormed & robbed as they have in some other cities. So if coronavirus is not the cause of this gigantic crime increase, then what is?
In late 2020, Fort Bragg had a major leadership change. Bernie Norvell, who had taught wrestling at Fort Bragg High School prior, was appointed as mayor. He had served on the city council and had also been vice mayor for some time. When Bernie Norvell was first appointed as mayor, violent crime was lower than the national average by a significant margin, while property crime was higher. See this article from City Data.
Soon after Bernie Norvell was appointed mayor in late 2020, violent crime began to skyrocket. The very next year of 2021, violent crime had risen by more than 100% according to City Data. Property crime had dropped by roughly 5%.
In 2022, violent crime rose roughly another 35%, with property crime dropping about 25%.
The City of Fort Bragg, during Bernie Norvells tenure, has prided itself on it’s low homeless population. It is true according to City Data that property crimes have dropped about 30% since Bernie Norvell was appointed mayor. However, the violent crime has increased nearly 150%. Is it worth the sacrifice?
Another notable development in the politics of Fort Bragg occurred shortly after 2020 in the structure of the police force. In early February 2021, Thomas O’Neal was sworn in as Captain of Fort Bragg Police Department. As we discussed earlier, violent crime rose roughly 105% in 2021 compared to 2020.
So what exactly are Bernie Norvell & Thomas O’Neal doing (or failing to do) that is causing this amazing increase in violent crime? I have an idea, but unfortunately Thomas O’Neal has threatened to sue me if I say certain things about him. What I can say is that subordinate officers under the command of Thomas O’Neal seem to have a soft spot for aggressive drunk men.
On or around October 29 of 2023, Officer Tyler Baker was dispatched to make contact with an angry drunk man who was roaming around the area of Redwood Street in Fort Bragg. He arrived on scene with Officer Jarod Frank, and they learned that the man was on probation with Mendocino County Sheriffs Office. However, instead of arresting the man for violating his probation, they chose to give him a warning.
Later in the day, Officer Baker was again dispatched to remove a trespasser from the front porch of an elderly lady who resided on South Franklin Street in Fort Bragg. Officer Baker went to the wrong side of Franklin Street and declared the trespasser UTL/GOA (Unable to locate, gone on arrival). The trespasser was never contacted, possibly due to the fact that before Baker could respond to my call stating that I had eyes on the trespasser & that he had gone to the wrong side of Franklin street, another call came in to the Fort Bragg Police Department. A couple had been assaulted by an angry drunk man. Officer Baker responded to the scene & quickly learned that the man he had pardoned earlier was the assailant in the altercation. Here is the video of the incident:
As I said before, I can’t say too many things about Thomas O’Neal, as I have been threatened with a civil lawsuit. However, I can say that O’Neal failed to properly discipline Tyler Baker after this incident.
A month or so later, Tyler Baker was dispatched to Angelinas Grill & Bar regarding a drunk man who was bothering the staff. According to the radio, Tyler Baker responded & advised the man to leave the business. Despite the fact that the staff had complained the man was overly intoxicated, Officer Baker did not arrest the man for being drunk in public. Officer Baker stated the man would be returning to his room at Motel 6.
Roughly 20 minutes after Baker had left, the staff called in again to report that the man was back in the establishment threatening staff. Sergeant Ferris of Fort Bragg Police Department proceeded to address the problem while Officer Baker was busy responding to a theft call from Harvest Market. It is unclear whether Sergeant Ferris arrested the individual.
In September of last year, Officer Baker attempted to arrest me after I was attacked by an angry drunk man myself. I showed him video footage I had taken with my body worn camera, which showed I was attacked. He still attempted to arrest me instead of my attacker. He only chose to let me go after speaking with District Attorney Eloise Kelsey, who informed him that the incident appeared to be self defense.
The next example of Tyler Bakers questionable conduct occurred a month or so ago when Tyler Baker was dispatched regarding an aggressive drunk man in an alley. Tyler Baker responded & observed the man walking around with a hammer. The man claimed that he needed to carry it to protect himself because he had been attacked earlier & was worried he would be attacked again. Tyler Baker pardoned the man, as he usually does for aggressive drunk men, assuming that he wouldn’t be causing any problems despite the fact he was intoxicated & carrying a hammer.
Roughly one hour later, a call came in alleging the same man was in the lobby of a business acting aggressive & disturbing the staff. Officers again responded, with Captain O’Neal stepping in & the man being finally arrested.
Is the Fort Bragg Police Departments lenience toward alcoholism causing violent crime to spread throughout the city? Apparently Fort Bragg doesn’t think so, as they have recently given Officer Tyler Baker an award for officer of the year.
Additionally, Chief Neil Cervenka also plays a role in the negligence we have seen exercised by Fort Bragg Police Department. I have written complaints regarding serious issues & submitted them for his investigation, and he has dismissed all of them. He recently informed me that my complaints would be considered frivolous and would not be ‘investigated’ anymore.
Western culture in general seems to have a major issue of alcoholism, however the City of Fort Bragg seems to be even worse.
What do you think about the City of Fort Bragg? Do you think they are doing a good job representing the best interests of the residents?
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