(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.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 43, Sec. 79. (SB 1023) Effective June 27, 2012.)