Law Enforcement
Rick Oules
In the summer of 1981, the U.S. Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime, a bi-partisan group of distinguished national criminal justice experts tasked with examining federal, state and local law enforcement needs, recommended that the Attorney General establish a forum to enhance communication at all levels of law enforcement. The Attorney General acted on the recommendation and formed the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) for the purpose of improving coordination and cooperation among law enforcement agencies to enhance the effectiveness of the criminal justice system within a federal judicial district.
To facilitate the formation of programs within the districts, Congress created the Law Enforcement Coordinator (LEC) position in 1986. The LEC represents the U.S. Attorney and the office by participating on law enforcement panels, local and statewide committees, and law
enforcement task forces. The LEC maintains direct contact with the U.S. Attorney in the setting of priorities and the identifying of needs, activities, committees and task forces for the District's law enforcement program based on the LEC's close contact, involvement and participation with the District's law enforcement community.
In the past fifteen years, the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Eastern District of California has developed a meaningful cooperative program with our District's local and state agencies regarding a number of law enforcement issues. Our successes and achievements during this period are directly related to the cooperative spirit and the progressiveness of our District's law enforcement community. The USAO has strived to be responsive to the needs of our federal, state, and local agencies, especially the rural agencies that make up the bulk of our law enforcement population.
In 1996, in a further effort to enhance relationships among our agencies, the U.S. Attorney began holding annual District Law Enforcement Summits to ensure that our federal, state, and local law enforcement executives would have a regular opportunity to meet and discuss District law enforcement needs and concerns. In addition, the U.S. Attorney formed an Executive Committee that includes Sheriffs, Chiefs of Police, state and federal agency heads, POST, and Directors of California criminal justice associations. This committee assists the U.S. Attorney in planning various USAO sponsored activities and serves as the adviser on matters that impact local and state law enforcement within the District.
The U.S. Attorney's law enforcement program includes training, program development and facilitation, project assistance, funding for law enforcement related activities and programs, assistance with writing and acquiring federal grants, and when requested, serves as an ombudsman to District law enforcement agencies.