Section 14171 Of Title 11.5. Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention Program From California Penal Code >> Title 11.5. >> Part 4.
14171
. (a) Each of the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera,
Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare may develop within its
respective jurisdiction a Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention
Program, which shall be administered by the county district attorney'
s office or the county sheriff's department of each respective county
under a joint powers agreement entered into pursuant to Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code.
(b) The parties to each agreement shall form a regional task force
that shall be known as the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force,
that may include the respective county office of the county
agricultural commissioner, the county district attorney, the county
sheriff, and interested property owner groups or associations. The
task force shall be an interactive team working together to develop
crime prevention, problem solving, and crime control techniques, to
encourage timely reporting of crimes, and to evaluate the results of
these activities. The task force may operate from a joint facility in
order to facilitate investigative coordination. The task force may
also consult with experts from the United States military, the
California Military Department, the Department of Justice, other law
enforcement entities, and various other state and private
organizations as deemed necessary to maximize the effectiveness of
this program. Media and community support may be solicited to promote
this program. Each of the participating designated counties shall
adopt rules and regulations for the implementation and administration
of this program.
(1) In order to receive funds for this program, each designated
county shall agree to participate in a regional task force, to be
known as the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force, and shall appoint
a representative to that task force.
(2) The Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force may develop rural
crime prevention programs containing a system for reporting rural
crimes that enables the swift recovery of stolen goods and the
apprehension of criminal suspects for prosecution. The task force may
develop computer software and use communication technology to
implement the reporting system, although the task force is not
limited to the use of these means to achieve the stated goals.
(3) The Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force may develop a
uniform procedure for all participating counties to collect, and each
participating county may collect, data on agricultural crimes. The
task force may also establish a central database for the collection
and maintenance of data on agricultural crimes and designate one
participating county to maintain the database. State funds the
counties receive to operate their rural crime prevention programs may
be used to implement the requirements of this paragraph. This
paragraph does not prohibit counties from using their own funds to
implement the paragraph's provisions, however, it is the Legislature'
s intent that this paragraph shall not be construed as creating a
state-mandated local program.
(c) The staff for each program may consist of the personnel
designated by the district attorney and sheriff for each county in
accordance with the joint powers agreement.