Grant pays for outreach, patrol
Grant pays for outreach, patrol
A program designed to combat agricultural theft locally has received another year of funding, which will allow for continued outreach and education by the Sheriff’s Department in all reaches of San Benito County.
Between July 1 and Dec. 30 of last year, an estimated $100,000 in losses related to agricultural crimes was reported in the county. The $178,373 in funding from the California Rural Crime Prevention Program will fund a full-time deputy’s position for this effort as well as the purchase of a 2012 Dodge 4-by-4 pickup.
Sgt. Tony Lamonica said local ag crimes range from the theft of copper for resale to stolen fruit and vegetables. The highest-dollar crimes include stolen tractors and other equipment.
The deputy assigned to the agricultural crimes detail, he said, “goes out and educates the ag community about how to put serial numbers on equipment and what other safety precautions to take.”
“It’s an issue that we have in our community, that’s why we’re trying to have our ag deputy get out and talk about precautions and how to keep farms and their equipment safe,” Lamonica said.
A proactive and preventative approach is taken because of the rural nature of the county, which includes huge tracts of land, which means some thefts aren’t discovered until days after they occur.
“A lot of time, people will go on these huge farms that have generators or pressure washers and the owners don’t find out until a week or two later sometimes,” Lamonica said. “We try to educate the agricultural community to put owner-operator numbers on equipment and we also work with the ag commissioner’s office and the district attorney’s office.”
The rural crime grant has funded ag crime prevention activities in San Benito County for more than five years, Lamonica noted.
Online resources
For more resources about agricultural crimes, including links to local agencies, tips on preventing crimes and a list of stolen and found equipment, visit www.agcrime.net/san_benito_county.htm.
