Fresno County moves toward strengthening fight against copper thieves

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to determination guardant with an ordinance that volition marque possessing and transporting stolen copper ligament a crime.

Copper ligament theft is thing that costs farmers, businesses, and residents much than 3 cardinal dollars successful 2023 alone.

That's wherefore Fresno County supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Nathan Magsig introduced an ordinance successful an effort to ace down connected the crime.

"What the Sheriff's bureau has informed our committee is that they travel into interaction with individuals who person tools connected them, arsenic good arsenic wires, similar you're seeing implicit present successful their vehicles, and close present the region does not person an ordinance successful spot wherever we tin marque an arrest," said Magsig.

"We spot them with what we cognize is stolen property, but it can't beryllium proven, truthful they get released and connected their way," said Sheriff John Zanoni.

This ordinance would springiness deputies the authorization to mention oregon apprehension radical if they person much than 10 pounds of suspected stolen copper wire.

The occupation is that this ordinance whitethorn not clasp up successful tribunal and could marque the region the people of a suit from the authorities lawyer general.

It's reportedly the crushed Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp was notably absent from the quality league officials held Tuesday afternoon, and wherefore Supervisor Brian Pacheco expressed immoderate concern.

"I similar different instrumentality successful the toolbox, but if our main instrumentality enforcement serviceman of the region doesn't consciousness that she has the capableness to enforce this, is it truly helping us?" questioned Pacheco.

"Twist successful the upwind and clutch our pearls and bash thing successful presumption of fearfulness of what an lawyer wide mightiness say, oregon we tin instrumentality the bull by the horns, amusement leadership, measurement up," argued Bredefeld, successful favour of the ordinance.

Smittcamp's bureau sent Action News a connection astir the ordinance, writing:
"I afloat enactment the intent down this ordinance. Our assemblage has suffered excessively agelong from the transgression enactment surrounding ligament theft, and stronger penalties are perfectly indispensable to deter these crimes. However, it's important to admit that this ordinance whitethorn struggle with existing authorities law. As such, the District Attorney's Office has a ineligible and ethical work to guarantee that immoderate enforcement of the ordinance does not interruption authorities preemption laws."

Ultimately, the committee voted unanimously to determination guardant with the ordinance.

They anticipation different counties and cities volition articulation them.

The Fresno City Council volition instrumentality up a akin ordinance astatine their gathering connected Thursday.

"The connection we privation to marque large and wide to criminals retired determination is there's obscurity harmless successful the Central Valley, truthful halt doing these crimes," said Magsig.

The ordinance volition travel backmost earlier the Board of Supervisors for a last ballot of support connected April 22.

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