LAKE COUNTY? On Oct. 15 and 16 members of the Region II Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force conducted a two-day enforcement operation in Lake County that resulted in 24 arrests.
The focus of the operation was to conduct probation or parole searches and compliance checks on registered sex offenders and other felons convicted of domestic violence, child abuse and drug related offenses, according to a press release provided by Capt. James Bauman, public information officer for Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO).
The task force consisted of six teams of five officers from 13 different law enforcement agencies.
The two-day operation covered communities across the county and the check of approximately 110 locations resulted in a total of 21 felony arrests, three misdemeanor arrests, and five new cases requiring investigation.
The 24 arrests were based on charges relating mostly to parole or probation violations, possession of narcotics or illegal weapons, under the influence of narcotics or alcohol and outstanding warrants. In some cases, the arrests for violations of probation or parole entailed illegal contact with minors, possession of pornography, possession of computers with Internet access, and possession of alcohol or drugs.
Agencies participating included the Lake County Sheriff”s Department; the Lake County District Attorney”s Office; the Lakeport Police Department; the Lake County Probation Department; the Lake County Narcotics Task Force; the California Highway Patrol; Clear Lake Area State Parks; the Lake County Animal Care and Control; State Parole; the Mendocino County Sheriff”s Department; the Napa County Sheriff”s Department; the Marin County Sheriff”s Department; and the Santa Clara County Sheriff”s Department.
The SAFE Task Force is funded by a grant provided by the law enforcement branch of the California Office of Emergency Services and administered through the Santa Clara County Sheriff”s Department. SAFE Task Force operations are conducted in Lake and other counties to enforce the compliance of sex registrants and other convicted felons on parole or probation. The designated SAFE Task Force Agent for Lake County, Sheriff”s Detective Mike Curran, said this operation was the most successful multi-agency effort he has coordinated in the 18 months since the grant has existed in Lake County.
