Hollister
– Although funding may not be readily available, a local senator
is working on bringing San Benito County into California’s Rural
County Crime Task Force to ensure that local farmers and ranchers
will benefit when dollars become available in the future.
Hollister – Although funding may not be readily available, a local senator is working on bringing San Benito County into California’s Rural County Crime Task Force to ensure that local farmers and ranchers will benefit when dollars become available in the future.
The state’s Rural County Crime Task Force attempts to put a stop to rural crimes that can rob farmers and ranchers of hard-earned money, equipment and resources by uniting law enforcement, citizens, business and service organizations to develop strategies to prevent rural crime.
Senator Jeff Denham, R-Merced, said including San Benito on the task force has been one of his top priorities since he’s been in office. He’s been working with another senator from the Central Valley to bring Central Coast counties, including San Benito, into the task force and garner an additional $1 million in state monies to help fund preventative programs.
The bill is expected to make it to the Senate floor by next week, but even if it passes and San Benito is included, Denham said it will be difficult to get the needed $1 million.
“This is a tough budget year, so it’s going to be a huge challenge. But it’s definitely a fight worth taking,” Denham said. “It’s important to get the language in now so when the money is available it goes back in there.”
If the money was allocated, counties would receive funding based on population and acreage, Denham said. He didn’t have an exact percentage for San Benito County.
Sheriff Curtis Hill, who has one deputy in south county working rural crime cases, said he’d love to have some extra money for investigations and prevention, but he doesn’t see it happening any time soon.
Hill estimated that San Benito County only loses about $100,000 a year from rural crimes, such as tractor, fertilizer or livestock theft. But it isn’t as much of a problem here as it is in the Central Valley and other areas of the state, Hill said.
“He’s (Denham) got a good proposal there, but the difficulties will be in how to implement that and dedicate staff because of the dollar issue” Hill said. “If he can swing state funding to assist us in that, perfect.”
Hill said his department has a good working relationship with local ranchers and farmers, who have learned to watch out for each other in recent years and use common sense preventative measures in safeguarding their property.
Parking large equipment away from the road, locking up tools at night and keeping chemicals and fertilizer in storage sheds are effective ways farmers and ranchers can deter thieves, Hill said.
Although the probability of recovering stolen farm equipment is small to none, if state funding were allocated Hill would use it to enhance investigations, better educate farmers and train deputies to be better prepared when a crime is committed.
“In our county it’s not an issue that is a central theft issue. We have a good set of ranchers paying attention to their property,” he said. “(Extra funding) would just enhance our working relationship with allied counties. The work is already being done – we’d be looking at enhancing the investigative component.”
Local farm manager Richard Silva of Popflavor Farms in San Juan Bautista knows all too well that most rural thefts go unpunished, and would support extra money for law enforcement to investigate the crimes 100 percent, he said.
In the last two years, Silva said Popflavor has lost around $40,000 worth of goods such as a tractor, equipment for land leveling and numerous hand tools.
He also said the company has gone to extreme measures to protect its equipment, but wouldn’t mind some extra help from the state when crimes inevitably occur.
“It’s gotten worse in the last few years and we’re taking extraordinary measures just to hang on to what we’ve got,” Silva said. “If there’s any state money available to help curtail the problem, we’d be very much in support of it.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
