By Leon Worden, SCVNews.com
For the ninth year, the state of California is providing more than $100,000 to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to protect the environment in the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys from off-highway vehicles (OHVs).
Sheriff Lee Baca is asking the Board of Supervisors to take the necessary pro-forma steps Tuesday so he can accept a $109,330 grant from the state parks department to pay overtime to sergeants and deputies who enforce OHV laws. Baca would add $36,444 out of his patrol budget to that sum, as a requirement for getting the state money.
“The goal … is to reduce incidences of OHV-related offenses and code violations throughout the jurisdiction of (Santa Clarita and Plamdale) stations, as well as the Lancaster and Crescenta Valley areas,” Baca said in his report to the board.
Of the state money, $67,160 would be allocated to Santa Clarita and $42,170 to Palmdale, almost all of it (96 percent) going to staff and the remainder to supplies.
“These sergeants and deputies will be responsible for identifying/targeting areas where violations are highly prevalent and conducting coordinated enforcement efforts throughout the identified region,” Baca said in his report. “The department will also collaborate with the United States Forest Service to ensure that efficient and productive enforcement of the problem areas exists during peak times such as weekends and holidays.”