District Attorney asks board to convert two ORT grant positions to permanent amid rising organized retail theft work

The District Attorney (Rodriguez) described the county's Organized Retail Theft (ORT) unit as an emergent, regional capability and requested that two grant‑funded positions — one investigator and one attorney — be converted to permanent status when a current state grant expires.

Rodriguez said her consumer protection and ORT work has produced notable results, including multi‑county prosecutions and recoveries. "Our office has become a regional, if not Northern California leader in dealing with organized retail theft," she said, citing a recent defendant charged with more than 50 counts spanning multiple counties.

Why it matters: Retailers and victims told supervisors the unit has improved the likelihood of effective prosecutions for organized rings; the DA presented letters of support and press coverage to show system‑level impacts. The request was framed as a two‑step funding need: a half‑year general‑fund supplementation to bridge the grant shortfall and a full year of added general fund if the board wishes to sustain the unit long term.

Financial ask: Staff estimated a half‑year county shortfall of $427,006.59 to continue the unit while the grant ends; the fully ongoing annual cost would be roughly $800,000 for both positions.

Board response: Supervisors acknowledged the unit's successes and asked staff to validate grant timelines and consider whether federal or state resources could be aligned to sustain the work.

What's next: The DA's office will provide more complete cost documentation; county staff will work through the June budget process to weigh sustainment against other county priorities.