The Mendocino County, California, Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) serves 86,749 residents spread across 3,506 square miles. MCSO faces significant challenges in addressing persistent violence, especially issues related to intimate partner violence, in two isolated county hotspots – the Covelo area and Manchester–Point Arena areas. Both of which are in mountainous county terrain and at great distance from MCSO duty stations.

MCSO successfully applied for Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) funding to support placement of Resident Deputies in these communities. Resident deputies would provide a consistent MCSO presence and support community engagement and investigation efforts. MCSO will also acquire crime analysis software in an effort to better understand the patterns and drivers of violent crime in the county’s hot spots.