Some 50 localities are set to receive nearly $270 million in grants to help fight retail theft.
The state’s Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) approved Organized Retail Theft Prevention funding for 38 law enforcement agencies and 13 county district attorney’s offices on Thursday. The money will be used for various crime-fighting tools and programs, including advanced surveillance technology and license plate tracking, loss prevention training, new task forces and data sharing.
The funding, which is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Real Public Safety Plan, represents the largest-ever single investment in retail crime prevention.
“Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs,” said Newsom. “With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions. When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they’ll walk straight into jail cells.”
In order to be approved for the grants, applicants had to show there were policies in place to protect privacy and prevent racial or ethnic discrimination.
One city missing out on the funds is Oakland. That's because officials missed the deadline to apply. Some are calling for heads to roll. Oakland is currently facing a budget deficit. Robberies and burglaries are up 20% and 35% respectively. If anyone needed these funds, it's Oaktown. This blunder follows errors by the city clerk's office that affected two local elections, as well as infighting over the city's next police chief.
Find a full list of the grant awards below and read more from the BSCC.
| Alameda County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Orange County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Placer County District Attorney’s Office | $2,047,011 |
| Riverside County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| San Francisco County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office | $800,000 |
| Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office | $2,050,000 |
| Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office | $1,560,802 |
| Ventura County District Attorney’s Office | $2,047,631 |
| Yolo County District Attorney’s Office | $2,012,849 |
| Anaheim City Police Department | $6,104,863 |
| Bakersfield City Police Department | $6,203,009 |
| Beverly Hills City Police Department | $4,534,580 |
| Brea City Police Department | $5,941,357 |
| Chula Vista City Police Department | $3,037,986 |
| Citrus Heights City Police Department | $2,752,138 |
| Coalinga City Police Department | $1,745,015 |
| Costa Mesa City Police Department | $3,518,133 |
| Daly City City Police Department | $8,033,830 |
| Delano City Police Department | $633,761 |
| Fremont City Police Department | $2,453,985 |
| Fresno City Police Department | $23,663,194 |
| Garden Grove City Police Department | $1,302,231 |
| Hemet City Police Department | $2,500,065 |
| Irvine City Police Department | $5,403,369 |
| Los Angeles City Police Department | $15,650,000 |
| Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department | $15,650,000 |
| Modesto City Police Department | $6,003,419 |
| National City City Police Department | $935,100 |
| Newark City Police Department | $986,444 |
| Orange County Sheriff’s Department | $15,127,350 |
| Palm Springs City Police Department | $4,559,233 |
| Palo Alto City Police Department | $5,176,812 |
| Riverside County Sheriff’s Office | $2,219,710 |
| Roseville City Police Department | $609,147 |
| Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office | $9,424,987 |
| Salinas City Police Department | $3,573,307 |
| San Fernando City Police Department | $494,964 |
| San Francisco City/County Police Department | $15,326,301 |
| San Jose City Police Department | $8,489,349 |
| San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office | $15,643,538 |
| San Ramon City Police Department | $5,616,613 |
| Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office | $11,767,578 |
| Santa Monica City Police Department | $6,125,000 |
| Santa Rosa City Police Department | $560,653 |
| Vacaville City Police Department | $4,432,444 |
| Ventura County Sheriff’s Office | $15,650,000 |