BILL ANALYSIS
SB 121
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Date of Hearing: June 16, 2009
Chief Counsel: Gregory Pagan
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Juan Arambula, Chair
SB 121 (Denham) - As Amended: June 11, 2009
SUMMARY : Extends the sunset date on the Central Coast Rural
Crime Prevention Program (CCRCPP) until July 1, 2013.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Encourages the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, Santa
Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo to develop and
implement a CCRCPP for the purpose of preventing rural crime.
(Penal Code Section 14180.)
2)Provides that the CCRCPP shall be administered in San Benito,
Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties by the
county district attorney's office under a joint powers
agreement with the county sheriff's office, and in Monterey
County by the county sheriff's office under a joint powers
agreement with the county district attorney's office. [Penal
Code Section 14181(a).]
3)Provides that the parties to each agreement shall form a
regional task force known as the "Central Coast Rural Crime
Task Force" which includes the county agricultural
commissioner, the county district attorney, the county
sheriff, and interested property owners or associations.
Requires the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force to work
together to develop crime prevention and crime control
techniques, to encourage the timely reporting of crimes, and
to evaluate the results of these activities. [Penal Code
Section 14181(b).]
4)Requires the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force to develop
rural crime prevention programs which contain a system for
reporting rural crimes that enable the swift recovery of
stolen goods and the apprehension of criminal suspects.
[Penal Code Section 14181(b)(1).]
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5)Requires the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force to develop
a uniform procedure for all participating counties to collect
data on agricultural crimes, establish a central database for
the collection and maintenance of data on agricultural crimes,
and designate one participating county to maintain the
database. [Penal Code Section 14181(b)(2).]
6)States that the staff for each program shall consist of the
personnel designated by the district attorney and the sheriff
of each county in accordance with the joint powers agreement.
[Penal Code Section 14181(c).]
7)Provides that funding for the program may include, but shall
not be limited to, appropriations from local government and
private contributions. (Penal Code Section 14182.)
8)States that this act shall become inoperative on July 1, 2010
and is repealed as of January 1, 2011 unless a later statute
extends or deletes those dates. (Penal Code Section 14183.)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)Author's Statement : According to the author, "SB 121 extends
the CCRCPP task forces in Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis
Obispo, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties through July 1,
2013. This program was created by my Senate Bill 44 in 2003.
"SB 121 gives local government the resources to continue to
adequately battle rural crime in their respective counties.
"I was pleased to see that last year this committee supported AB
186, which also extended the same program for Central Valley
Counties. These are great programs for the rural areas of the
state."
2)Background : According to background supplied by the author,
"The California agriculture industry contributes to a large
portion of the state's economy. With over $36.6 billion in
revenue in 2007, the agriculture industry deserves
California's protection. SB 121 will extend the CCRCPP for
three years and give this industry and the people who work in
it the protection it needs.
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"Until this program was enacted, agriculture was underserved
when it came to rural crime intervention and crime prevention
programs. Local task forces created by this bill bring
together crime prevention experts from across jurisdictions to
monitor, study, and prevent crime. This is an important step
to ensuring the safety of Californian agriculture.
"This bill would allow the formed task forces to continue and
will extend the provisions that develop a system to monitor,
report, investigate and deter rural crimes. In addition to
theft of property, including chemicals, equipment, and
livestock, the rural crime task forces combat the
proliferation of methamphetamine labs.
"SB 44 (Denham), Chapter 18, Statutes of in 2003, established
the CCRCP task forces in Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis
Obispo, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. These task
forces have been effective in recovering property losses to
the agriculture community.
"SB 121 would extend the CCRCP task forces in Monterey, Santa
Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
through July 1, 2013. This would give local government the
resources to continue to adequately work together to battle
rural crime in their respective counties."
3)Funding : According to the California Emergency Management
Agency, formerly the Office of Emergency Services, this
program was awarded $720, 000 from the state General Fund for
the upcoming budget year. Funding for this program was part
of the local public safety programs funded through the
February 2009 increase in the Vehicle License Fee [see ABx3 3
(Evans), Chapter 4, Statutes of 2009]; revenue was dedicated
to supporting theses local programs. This funding authority
will sunset as of July 1, 2011 as a result of the failure of
Proposition 1A (May 2009 Special Election). However, this
program may also be funded by local appropriations or private
funding. (Penal Code Section 14182.)
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State County
and Municipal Employees
SB 121
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California Attorney General's Office
California District Attorneys Association
California Farm Bureau Federation
California State Sheriffs' Association
Monterey County Sheriff
Ocean Mist Farms
Regional Council of Rural Counties
San Benito County Sheriff
Santa Barbara County Sheriff
Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau
Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Opposition
None
Analysis Prepared by : Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916)
319-3744