A new step in the fight against crime in parts of Santa Barbara County was announced on Friday.
A Community Resource Deputy position is being funded by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. The role focuses dually on community engagement and crime prevention.
There are already several resource deputies across the county, in Isla Vista, Goleta, Carpinteria and the Santa Ynez Chumash. The newest deputy will be based in Orcutt.
District Supervisor Bob Nelson and Sheriff Bill Brown spoke about the program in a press conference on Friday, saying the role will fill a major need in the community.
"I hear from residents every day that I meet with, that contact my office, that are frustrated by the lack of services that they receive," Nelson, 4th District Supervisor, said. "They see crime going up. They often don't get an officer there."
The 4th District covers unincorporated communities including Orcutt, Los Alamos, Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills, Casmalia, Garey, Sisquoc and Tepusquet.
"Our officers are frustrated as well," Nelson continued. "They're out there just triaging the existing calls, and we haven't had the resources until now to go out there and deal with things proactively."
Nelson says having someone in the unincorporated areas should help cut back on crime.
$200,000 has been set aside to hire someone for the position, which they hope to fill in the next six to eight weeks.
