ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA – Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley announced major public safety investments made during the latest Board of Supervisors meeting. The Board approved grant awards for probation mobile support services, to update law enforcement boating safety equipment, and to combat the rise of organized retail theft in the region.
Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program: Nearly $18 million in grants to the Sheriff-Coroner and District Attorney’s office for cameras, license plate recognition, drones, upgraded technology for theft prevention, additional investigators and prosecutors, and community outreach campaign including a retail summit and training for law enforcement and asset protection staff.
“This funding is essential to fight back against organized retail theft in Orange County. This summer we witnessed an alarming pattern of organized retail thefts. I remain committed to ensuring our Sheriff's Department and District Attorney’s Office have the necessary tools to hold these criminals accountable. Thank you to Senior Assistant District Attorney Suzie Price for speaking with passion at the Board meeting today about the need for this grant.”
New Resources for OC Probation included in County Quarterly Budget Update: Accepted a $2,000,000 Mobile Probation Service Centers Grant for the purchase of two outreach and support Mobile Probation Resource Vehicles.
“Our Probation Department serves approximately 10,000 adult and 800 juvenile clients on court-ordered probation or in diversion programs,” said Supervisor Foley. “These additional resource vehicles will allow our Probation Department to better support the complex needs of justice-involved individuals and get them the resources they need to transform their lives and reduce recidivism.”
“The two mobile resource vehicles that will be acquired through this grant will help us deliver probation services, countywide services under the OC Cares initiative, and most importantly, providing services more conveniently, preventing the need for clients to travel long distances to get help,” said Daniel Hernandez, Orange County Probation Department Chief Probation Officer.
“They will also give us the capability to remotely interface with other county agencies and the court to link people to public resources and potentially prevent unnecessary warrants, as well as outreach with homeless populations to assist with permanent housing options. We see these vehicles as a step in the right direction for the Probation Department to be a conduit for prevention, re-entry assistance and overall positive change in people’s lives,” added Chief Hernandez.
Orange County Homeland Security Coastal Protection Grant: Secured a $74,000 grant for the Sheriff-Coroner Department to purchase firefighting nozzles, fire hoses, search and rescue spotlights, hard-mounted emergency position-indicating radio beacons, and Gyro stabilizing binoculars.
“This latest grant reflects our continued commitment to securing our harbors and coastal zones and keeping them safe from drug smuggling, human trafficking, as well as environmental incidents. It’s important that we as a County support our law enforcement and our Harbor Patrol who are designated by the Department of Homeland Security to keeping Newport Beach and Dana Point Harbors safe for families to enjoy,” said Supervisor Foley.
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Supervisor Foley’s Board appointments include the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), OCFA Legislation & Public Affairs Committee Chair, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Environmental Committee, Coastal Greenbelt Authority, Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees, Ocean Institute, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel, Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition Co-Chair, Law Library Board of Trustees, Orange County Housing Finance Trust Chair, Local Agency Formation Commission (alt), Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, and OC Public Libraries Advisory Board.
