In 2023, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) announced that approximately $242 million was available in funding for their Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. The State Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154, Statues of 2022) established the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. Funding is available to California city police departments, sheriff departments and probation departments to support local law enforcement agencies in preventing and responding to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessory theft, or cargo theft.

The City has outlined a project narrative to increase the capacity of the newly formed organized retail theft unit (ORT).  The project narrative includes the addition of two personnel, (1) Performance Analyst to provide crime data to drive the ORT’s proactive and reactive operations and measure the ORT’s performance and (1) Administrative Analyst to be responsible for the budget management and reporting of the grant to the State. The program will also expand current relationships with programs such as the Youth Diversion program, Kern County Behavioral Health and the Brundage Lane Navigation Center. The goal of this grant is to reduce the incidents of retail theft, motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle accessory theft, and reduce repeat offenses by juveniles, first-time offenders, and habitual offenders.

Procedures established by the BSCC require a resolution certifying the approval of application(s) by the Applicants governing board before submission of said application(s) to the State. In addition, it establishes that the City Manager, Chief of Police, or designee be authorized on behalf of the Council of the City of Bakersfield to submit the grant proposal for this funding and sign the Grant Agreement with the BSCC, including any amendments thereof.

This resolution approves the City of Bakersfield's Grant Application to the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program.