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| HISTORY OF ACTION |
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The ACTION
Project is an innovative concept to address agricultural crime that
was spearheaded by the Tulare County District Attorney, Phillip J.
Cline, in 1999. Congressman Bill Thomas along with a valley
delegation, including Cal Dooley and George Radonovich and California
Senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, provided key support and
assistance in regards to federal funding for the ACTION
Project. ACTION is funded through the Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Assistance and is currently a unique nationwide
model program. The focus of the ACTION Project is to use
technology and training to make law enforcement agencies much more
effective in their approach to solving, preventing and prosecuting
agricultural crime. Currently, there are thirteen (13) counties participating as full partnership counties within the
ACTION Project. The counties of
Kern, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced,
Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara,
Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Tulare have dedicated crime units
within their Sheriff’s Departments and dedicated prosecutors within
the District Attorney’s Offices that specialize in the prevention,
investigation and prosecution of agricultural related crime.
Over the last few years, ACTION has become a repository of agricultural crime information and expertise for law enforcement agencies throughout the nation and internationally. It is ACTION’s intent to establish a permanent national center for the development of new technology and the application of that technology. Furthermore, this national center will serve as the provider of training on the application of new technology. The national Resource and Research Center will benefit not only law enforcement agencies but would include the entire agricultural industry. Criminals will not be able to escape capture and punishment by crossing borders as they have in the past. ACTION will promote its regional approach to crime and traverse the county and state boundaries that have acted as barriers in the past. As criminals cross jurisdictional lines, law enforcement will continue to follow and grow in strength as the different agencies work together to combat agricultural crime.
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