Restored funding needed for rural crime prevention 

By Steven Fenaroli

Farming is often thought of as a way of life and not just a job. Many California farm families have been living this life for generations—and they want to continue the legacy, growing crops, raising livestock and supporting the communities and people who keep California an agricultural powerhouse.

People often call farmers “resilient,” and there’s good reason. Whether they grow almonds or alfalfa, farmers rise before dawn, push through droughts and floods, and uphold a $60 billion industry that fuels our economy and feeds the nation and the world. 

But as farmers and ranchers work to keep California running, they’re often looking over their shoulders—not only at the weather or the uncertainty of commodity prices but at thieves looking to make a quick buck. Rural property and agricultural crime are quietly devastating farm communities, jeopardizing livelihoods, and putting public health and safety at risk.

A single theft can cripple and close any farm. Tractors, irrigation pumps, copper wire, solar panels and harvesting equipment aren’t luxuries—they’re necessities. Replacing them can cost upward of six figures. 

Last year, thieves in Kern County caused more than $30,000 in damages by stealing copper wire, one of many similar cases across the Central Valley. Additionally, in Monterey County, multiple tractors were stolen in a single week.

These crimes ripple outward: Delayed harvest can mean lost crops, higher insurance costs and ultimately higher food prices for families. For example, one Kern County farm family has had multiple quads stolen, damage to their shops and gates, and copper wire stolen, totaling more than $100,000 worth of stolen property and damage.

Too often, law enforcement and our communities are forced to clean up after those who willingly break the law with no regard for the destruction they leave behind. In Fresno County, for example, where criminals illegally dumped animal carcasses, local sheriffs should have every resource at their disposal to find those responsible.

What’s happening in Fresno, Kern and Monterey counties reflects a larger statewide crisis. And with an uncertain economy on the horizon, offenders are further pushed to more and more crime. 

Farm bankruptcies are on the rise again. California currently leads the nation’s 216 cases, with a staggering 17 of our own. While 93% of California farms are family owned, with an industry that is already running on fumes, these impacts are very real, personal and unaffordable. Every dollar counts to a family farm that knows their books inside and out.

When it comes to the response to crime, rural sheriff’s departments are doing everything they can, but they are often stretched thin. Many counties face chronic staffing shortages, long patrol distances and rising calls for service. Officers often cover hundreds of miles, leading to response times being measured in hours, not minutes as they should be. Many rural counties have three to four deputies patrolling at some hours. With the size of some large rural areas, there just aren’t enough deputies to keep working lands safe.

It’s not for lack of effort. It’s lack of resources. Dedicated agricultural crime units and specialized investigators have proven successful when they exist. The California Rural Crime Prevention Program, active in the late 1990s, provided training, coordination and intelligence-sharing among counties. It worked. But when state funding ended in 2002, these task forces slowly faded, leaving a gap that rural communities still feel today.

The good news is we know what works. Crime prevention is not only more effective than reacting after the fact. It’s also far less expensive. Restoring funding to this program is a long-term win that protects farmers, strengthens public safety and rural communities, and safeguards the food system that feeds all Californians.

With state support, counties could reestablish dedicated rural crime teams, install modern crime prevention technology, expand property-marking and equipment registration systems, and improve coordination with utilities to reduce copper wire and infrastructure theft. Task forces could also map high-risk areas, conduct proactive patrols during harvest seasons and partner with farmers to implement prevention strategies that are proven effective.

In an era when organized theft rings are more sophisticated, a modernized program could connect rural investigations to broader criminal networks, improving deterrence. These efforts would protect farms, but they would also protect California consumers by reducing supply-chain disruptions, helping stabilize food prices and keeping essential infrastructure—from irrigation to energy—functioning safely.

Farmers and ranchers shouldn’t have to be resilient. They should have laws that work to protect them so they can spend their time farming and doing what they do best. And law enforcement should have funding to properly do their jobs. 

Farmers and ranchers across the state may not see eye to eye on everything, but many tend to agree that agriculture is their legacy. They want future generations to have the opportunity to carry on the work they’ve done. But that farm must still be around for that to happen. By restoring and expanding funding for California’s Rural Crime Prevention Program, state leaders can safeguard farms, strengthen public safety and ensure that the families who feed us all can continue to do so for generations to come.

Steven Fenaroli is a director of policy advocacy for the California Farm Bureau. He can be reached at sfenaroli@cfbf.com.

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