Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program

Organized Retail Theft Grants

The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154) established the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Prevention Grant Program. Funding for ORT Prevention was designated as a competitive grant for city police departments, county sheriffs’ departments, and probation departments to support local law enforcement agencies in preventing and responding to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessory theft, or cargo theft.

The ORT Vertical Prosecution Grant was established in Assembly Bill 178. The funding for ORT Vertical Prosecution was awarded through a competitive grant process for district attorneys to address increased levels of retail theft property crimes by using a vertical prosecution model.

Initiated by the Governor and strongly supported by the Legislature in 2022, ORT grants are crucial components of the state's commitment to enhancing public safety and addressing the escalating issue of organized retail theft.

ORT Prevention Quarterly Status Updates

In May 2024, grantees submitted their second Quarterly Progress Report to the BSCC reporting on grant activities that occurred between January 1, 2024, and March 31, 2024. The report linked below summarizes the progress report information submitted by all 38 grantees.

ORT Prevention 1st Quarter Status Report

ORT Prevention 2nd Quarter Status Report

ORT Prevention 3rd Quarter Status Report

ORT Grantees Initial Progress Survey

On January 2, 2024, the BSCC sent a survey to all ORT Prevention and ORT Vertical Prosecution grantees. The survey asked grantees to identify their planned activities, share highlights related to the progress in implementing their project, and describe any challenges encountered. Key takeaways and findings from the ORT Prevention grantees are summarized below. Findings from Vertical Prosecution grantees are summarized on the ORT Vertical Prosecution page. Initial Progress Survey Results - Printable

ORT Prevention Survey Findings

Response Rate:

For the ORT Prevention grant, 100% (38 of 38 grantees, listed below) responded to the survey.

 

Key Takeaways for the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program:

  • The majority of grantees have initiated the procurement process for purchasing and installing surveillance, investigative, and/or tracking equipment and technology; some purchases have been completed.
  • The majority of grantees plan on conducting ORT operations (e.g., blitz, task force, bait cars, etc.). Some have already implemented such operations resulting in over 900 arrests.
  • All the grantees who plan on entering into agreements, contracts, or memoranda of understanding (MOU) with retailers and/or other partner organizations have established communication with some of their planned partners, with some grantees starting the contracting/MOU process.
  • Grantee challenges have primarily been related to delays in implementation as a result of local policy and procedures, such as the procurement process or obtaining approval from city council/board approval for accepting the grant funds.
See detailed findings in the Activities and Highlights and Challenges Encountered tabs.

 

ORT Prevention Grantees

At the September 14, 2023 BSCC Board Meeting, 31 City Police Departments and 7 Sheriff’s Offices were awarded in total $242,250,000 in ORT Prevention Grant Funding. The grant cycle for these projects is October 1, 2023 through June 1, 2027.

ORT Prevention Grant Project Summaries

Recognizing that applicants have different capacities, resources, and needs, there were two (2) categories within which applicants competed. The maximum an applicant could apply for in the Medium Scope of Work category was $6,125,000. The maximum an applicant could apply for in the Large Scope of Work category was $15,650,000. Multi-agency partnerships (Medium Scope of Work or Large Scope of Work) could apply for up to the maximum grant award in that Scope of Work category multiplied by the number of partnering applicants listed in the proposal.

 

ORT Prevention Grantees: (in alphabetical order)

ORT Prevention Grantees County Location Scope of Work Award
Anaheim Police Department Orange Medium $6,104,863
Bakersfield Police Department Kern Large $6,203,009
Beverly Hills Police Department Los Angeles Medium $4,534,580
Brea Police Department Orange Medium $5,941,357
Campbell Police Department* Santa Clara Medium $400,562
Chula Vista Police Department San Diego Medium $3,037,986
Citrus Heights Police Department Sacramento Medium $2,752,138
Coalinga Police Department Fresno Medium $1,745,015
Costa Mesa Police Department Orange Medium $3,518,133
Daly City Police Department ^ San Mateo Medium $8,033,830
Delano Police Department Kern Medium $633,761
Fremont Police Department Alameda Medium $2,453,958
Fresno Police Department ^ Fresno Large $23,663,194
Garden Grove Police Department Orange Medium $1,302,231
Hemet Police Department Riverside Medium $2,500,065
Irvine Police Department Orange Medium $5,403,369
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Los Angeles Large $15,650,000
Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles Large $15,650,000
Modesto Police Department Stanislaus Medium $6,003,419
National City Police Department San Diego Medium $935,100
Newark Police Department Alameda Medium $986,444
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Orange Large $15,127,350
Palm Springs Police Department Riverside Medium $4,559,233
Palo Alto Police Department Santa Clara Medium $5,176,812
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office- Jurupa Valley Station Riverside Medium $2,219,710
Roseville Police Department Placer Medium $609,147
Sacramento Sheriff's Office Sacramento Large $9,424,987
Salinas Police Department Monterey Medium $3,573,307
San Fernando Police Department Los Angeles Medium $494,964
San Francisco Police Department San Francisco Large $15,326,301
San Jose Police Department Santa Clara Large $8,489,349
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office ^ San Mateo Large $15,643,538
San Ramon Police Department Contra Costa Medium $5,616,613
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Santa Clara Large $11,767,578
Santa Monica Police Department Los Angeles Medium $6,125,000
Santa Rosa Police Department Sonoma Medium $560,653
Vacaville Police Department Solano Medium $4,432,444
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Ventura Large $15,650,000
Total Awarded:   $242,250,000

* Partial award

^ Multi-agency partnerships - partner agencies listed below

   

Multiple-Agency Partnerships

Lead Agency Partner Agencies
Daly City Police Department   1. San Bruno Police Department
  2. San Mateo Police Department
Fresno Police Department   1. Clovis Police Department
  2. Fresno County Probation Department
  3. Fresno County District Attorney's Office
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office   1. Atherton Police Department
  2. Belmont Police Department
  3. Broadmoor Police Department
  4. Burlingame Police Department
  5. Colma Police Department
  6. East Palo Alto Police Department
  7. Foster City Police Department
  8. Menlo Park Police Department
  9. Northern California Regional Intelligence Center Fusion Center (NCRIC)
10. Pacifica Police Department
11. Redwood City Police Department
12. San Mateo County Vehicle Theft Task Force (VTTF)
13. South San Francisco Police Department

 

Contact the BSCC regarding the ORT Prevention Grant

If you have questions about the ORT Prevention Grant Program, email ORT@bscc.ca.gov.

This website will be updated as new information becomes available. You may also subscribe to the BSCC listserve for updates about BSCC’s grant projects and funding opportunities. Sign up for BSCC email updates.