Kings County district attorney warns Hanford pullout from major crimes task force could hinder gang investigations

District Attorney Sarah Hacker told the Kings County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4 that the Hanford Police Department’s recent decision to withdraw from the county’s multi‑agency major crimes task force has “absolute 100% serious ramifications for the county.”

Hacker said the task force is dedicated to investigating major conspiracies, large‑scale narcotics sales, illegal firearms trafficking and gang crimes, and she warned that the city’s withdrawal will interrupt the “free flow of information” investigators have relied on. “We're not gonna get the flow of information that we once had,” Hacker said, adding that Hanford officers previously worked in joint operations, shared intelligence without “bureaucracy and red tape,” and sometimes participated directly in wire rooms and takedowns.

The concern centers on recent operations, including “Operation Royal Flush,” a September–November 2024 wiretap operation Hacker described as countywide: about 70 suspects were arrested, three homicides were solved, and multiple homicide suspects were taken into custody. Hacker said the task force targeted 58 locations during takedowns; 12 were in Hanford but Hanford Police took only two. She said county and state task‑force personnel handled the remaining Hanford locations and that the county covered overtime and staffing costs for the operation.

Board members responded by saying they want more information and that the issue should come back to the board for consideration. Supervisors suggested agendizing a response — either a study session to hear from Hanford city officials and local law enforcement about their reasons for withdrawing, or a single action item that would allow the board to consider a letter offering county assistance and to seek further background on the decision. Multiple supervisors said they want county staff to work with the district attorney’s office and sheriff’s staff to explore options for restoring cooperation.

Hacker and board members stressed that gang activity in Kings County is not confined to one city: she gave several examples of cross‑jurisdictional incidents in which suspects moved between Hanford and surrounding communities and in at least one case a pursuit began in Hanford and ended in unincorporated county jurisdiction. She told the board those dynamics make multi‑agency cooperation essential for timely arrests and prosecutions.

No formal directive or vote was recorded at the Feb. 4 meeting; supervisors asked staff to prepare next steps. The board said it will consider placing the item on a future agenda either as an action item to send correspondence to Hanford or as a study session that would include the district attorney, sheriff’s staff and, if invited, Hanford representatives.

The board also acknowledged that the county previously absorbed costs and operational roles during large investigations when some local agencies did not participate fully, and several supervisors said the county should seek a solution that restores the previous cooperative model without unduly intruding on city decision‑making.

The county will also track operational impacts if Hanford remains outside the task force, including whether the county must increase funding or staffing for county‑led task‑force efforts.

Ending: The board directed staff to follow up; no formal motion or vote on a letter or study session was recorded at the Feb. 4 meeting. The district attorney asked the board to consider options that preserve intelligence‑sharing and frontline investigative capacity across jurisdictions.