A proposed law to create a rural crime task force for the San
Benito County area to focus on agriculture-related crimes
unanimously passed the state Assembly and now heads to the
governor’s desk for approval.
A proposed law to create a rural crime task force for the San Benito County area to focus on agriculture-related crimes unanimously passed the state Assembly and now heads to the governor’s desk for approval.
“I hope the governor will do the right thing and sign this measure,” said state Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Salinas. “It is important for the counties of the Central Coast to have our endorsement of this program. SB 44 has received bipartisan support and should be signed into law.”
The measure, Senate Bill 44, authored by Denham, would be modeled after a program that has shown success in the Central Valley, Denham said.
“It is important for the Legislature to offer their endorsement of this program,” Denham said. “The agricultural counties of the Central Coast should be targeting rural crime just like the counties in the Central Valley.”
The bill is to encourage the counties of San Benito, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz to create the task force, which has received strong support from law enforcement and agricultural groups, including the county’s district attorney and sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Curtis Hill said the bill would allow for specialized law enforcement teams to focus on ag-related crimes, adding to the department’s current attention to ag-related incidents.
The legislation follows the model of the Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention Program, which covers Stanislaus, Merced and Madera counties.
The bill was co-authored by state Sen. Bruce McPherson, R-Santa Cruz, and Assemblymen Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, John Laird, D-Santa Cruz and Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria.
