In his latest monthly address, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow took the opportunity to urge drivers to be extra cautious on local roadways as we are entering the harvest season.
The August address was released this week on the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page.
“There’s a lot of farming equipment right now on the roadways,” the sheriff said, adding that it is dangerous, not only for the vehicles traveling behind the farm equipment, but also those coming the other way, when drivers get impatient and try to pass in restricted areas or even when it’s not safe to do so.
He said being a few minutes late for work because you get stuck behind farm equipment is a much better choice than risking your life and the lives of others due to reckless driving.
A resident of Escalon, the sheriff said he, too, has been stuck behind slow-moving agricultural vehicles on occasion while driving to work in Stockton, but has learned to take it in stride.
“We just need to be patient,” the sheriff stressed. “This is our livelihood (agriculture) here in the Central Valley; we feed the world.”
The sheriff also reminded residents of popular scams still going around the area, including San Joaquin County, that attempt to get money for getting a relative out of jail.
He urged residents to be aware of these scams and said the caller may identify themselves as being an officer with the sheriff’s department and say that a certain amount of money is needed to get their relative out of jail.
“It’s happening all up and down the state,” Sheriff Withrow said. “Please don’t fall for that.”
In reviewing this month’s National Night Out festivities that occurred on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the sheriff said it was a good opportunity for networking in a positive way.
“It was so much fun to get out there and see everybody,” he said.
The sheriff’s department has also welcomed several new deputies, having joined the department after graduating with Class 196 out of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Academy. Now on staff are deputies Kovacs, Torres, Yepez, Singh, Rupert, Roa and Nunez.
