LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's office has received another grant in its effort to fund special victims investigator positions.

On Sept. 10 the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Lake County Sheriff’s Office grant funding in the amount of $20,913 to continue the operations of the agency's special victims investigator positions, according to Capt. James Bauman.

Bauman told Lake County News on Tuesday that this was the third of three grants awarded for the purpose. The first and second grants totaled $89,385 and $21,745, respectively.

Those previous two grants, totaling approximately $111,130, were part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which Sheriff Rod Mitchell gave a report to the Board of Supervisors about in May, as Lake County News has reported.

Mitchell said his agency was grateful for the grant funding allocation, and will ensure that the resources “will be committed responsibly and efficiently.”

“Children, elderly people, and disabled persons are often targeted for victimization because they appear

to be an easy opportunity for criminals who seek to steal from, or abuse them for their own criminal gain,” said Mitchell.

The sheriff's office currently has two full-time investigators that work on crimes against child, elderly and disabled victims, Bauman said.

He explained that the funding awarded by the Department of Justice will support one of these positions, and also will provide funding for equipment and training necessary to investigate the crimes that fall under their scope of responsibility.

The special victims investigators review all initial reports of suspected child abuse, elder abuse and abuse of disabled persons. Bauman said they open investigations into the facts and circumstances surrounding such incidents and take appropriate law enforcement action.

Bauman said special victims investigators work closely with other community resources such as Lake County Victim-Witness, Sutter Lakeside Community Services, Lake Family Resource Center, the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force and surrounding law enforcement agencies.

“These detectives, and all of our members, are true professionals who focus their time and energy on the relentless pursuit of criminals in our society who would prey upon our most vulnerable victims,” Mitchell said. “The members of this department are committed to bringing such criminals to justice, and preventing the exploitation of special victims whenever possible.”

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