Administered through the U.S. Department of Justice, this grant award is said to provide the Kern County Sheriff’s Office with approximately $7.3 million dollars over a 3-year period and allow the department to hire 27 additional deputy sheriffs.

If the grant award is approved by the Kern County Board of Supervisors, these positions will be utilized to increase the community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts of the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Youngblood will seek Board of Supervisors’ approval later this month in order to formally accept the grant award.

"These funds will prevent hardworking police officers from losing their jobs due to local budget cuts,” said Rep. Jim Costa. “As we work our way out of this recession, we must ensure that local police departments have the tools they need to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe. I am pleased to see more resources invest in our communities, and I will continue to support these efforts.”

In addition to increasing the number of deputies on the street, these new deputies will enhance community policing strategies and activities through targeted patrol and community based-partnerships.

The Sheriff’s Office will implement several community policing programs and strategies and activities dependent upon the needs of the community.

Strategic enforcement partners include the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, Bakersfield Police Department, the City of Wasco, and the Kern County Probation Department.

Strategic planning activities include proactive data analysis to identify crime patterns and relationships, utilization of crime prevention techniques, and efficient deployment of special operations details to address issues.

Enhanced enforcement and community policing strategies will be complemented by efforts designed to strengthen the resiliency of community members with safe recreational events for families and youth. A goal for the department will be to build trust over time between the community and law enforcement.

Information Provided By The Kern County Sheriff's Department