Believing that public safety is the number one priority for local government, Supervisor Antonovich has initiated numerous programs to ensure County residents have well-funded, professional law enforcement and emergency management agencies.

SEX OFFENDER LOCATOR MAP

Supervisor Antonovich initiated the County’s innovative on-line Sex Offender Locator Map.  This high tech tool enhanced public safety and empowered citizens with vital information to protect their families from registered serious and high risk sex offenders living in their communities.  The website’s success led to its use as the model for the State’s Megan’s Law website.  Click here to access the State of California Megan's Law Sex Offender Locator.

Additionally, Supervisor Antonovich implemented the Child Abduction Regional Emergency (CARE) Alert program, which serves as a model for the nationwide Amber Alert system helping recover abducted children

D.I.S.A.R.M

In 2000, Supervisor Antonovich initiated D.I.S.A.R.M. (Developing Increased Safety through Arms Reduction Management) following the tragic August 1999 shootings at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and the murder of a postal worker by Buford Furrow, an armed felon on probation from Washington State.

The D.I.S.A.R.M program entails pairing Deputy Probation Officers with local law enforcement personnel to perform unannounced searches of probationers and their homes, as a condition of probation, and targets the confiscation of guns, drugs, and other  contraband. 

Since its implementation in February of 2000, the D.I.S.A.R.M. program has seized 7,200 weapons and more than $218 million dollars in illegal drugs and drug money, and resulted in 14, 500 arrests. Over 50% of probationers were found to have been out of compliance with their terms of probation at the start of the program. Today the number of probationers found to be out of the terms of their probation has dropped to 10%.

HI-CAAP / M.O.U BETWEEN SHERIFF AND I.C.E

Noting the rising number of illegal immigrants in the County’s jail system, Supervisor Antonovich implemented the HI-CAAP (High Intensity Criminal Alien Apprehension and Prosecution) program, a multi-jurisdictional program aimed at identifying previously deported criminal aliens using fingerprint identification. Through shared fingerprint and computer system technologies, HI-CAAP alerts law enforcement officers that a suspect is a previously deported criminal alien. 

Upon the resolution of any local charges, the suspect is transferred to federal authorities for federal prosecution and or deportation proceedings.

In addition, Supervisor Antonovich helped implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Sheriff of Los Angeles County and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The MOU adopted by the County Board of Supervisors in January 2005, allows trained and certified Sheriff’s personal to identify criminal aliens in the County’s jail through an interview process. 

With the help of these Sheriff’s personnel, fewer criminal illegals are being released back into our communities.

Supervisor Antonovich also led the effort to reinstate the COPS program (Community Orientated Policing Team) to address quality of life issues and reduce crimes in the unincorporated communities.

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH ANTELOPE VALLEY COURTHOUSE

On October 23, 2003, after years of lobbying and not taking “no” for an answer, Supervisor Antonovich helped open the doors to a new Courthouse for the Antelope Valley. Located on Avenue M at 42011 4th Street West , the building is made from cast stone and sound-rated glass over braced steel frame construction. The total project – at a cost of $109,000,000 - features more than 380,000 square feet of space with four stories above and one below ground.  It houses a jury assembly room, court clerk's office, and 15 completed courtrooms with future capacity of 21 courtrooms.

The new Courthouse enhanced the justice system for the residents in the Antelope Valley and reduced the hardship placed on families, prosecutors and others who have had to travel great distances to outlying courts to have their cases adjudicated. In honor of his efforts to secure a Courthouse for the Antelope Valley, a panel of Superior Court Judges and other local officials named the Courthouse the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse.

Through Supervisor Antonovich's efforts in fiscal year 2007-08, the Board of Supervisors approved expansion of the Courthouse with the addition of two courtrooms to reduce backlogs and transfers to outlying Courthouses.

ANTELOPE VALLEY HUMAN RELATIONS TASK FORCE

"Senseless acts of bigotry and violence violate our most basic human rights. Merely stating intolerance of hate crimes is not adequate – we are compelled by the lessons of history to take action to ensure they are stopped.”

To address the hate crime issue and present a united front to combat it, the Antelope Valley Human Relations Task Force was established in 1996 by Supervisor Antonovich’s office and the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission.

“Ten years ago we were experiencing an epidemic of hate crimes in the Antelope Valley – so much so, this area became the focus of a national problem. These atrocities had to be stopped, and it was the creation of the task force that begun the process, provided the awareness, and created community partnerships to end these types of crimes. This group has made a significant difference in the Antelope Valley.”

The Antelope Valley Human Relations Task Force is a composed of elected officials, law enforcement, school district administrators, religious leaders and community based organizations whose mission is to facilitate the reporting, investigation and prosecution of hate crimes in the Antelope Valley. It serves as a resource for victim assistance and identifies initiatives that significantly reduce the incidences of hate activities throughout the Antelope Valley. A hotline assists law enforcement and the community in reporting hate crimes and hate incidences.

"We cannot claim victory, nor can we let our guard down. Hate crimes cannot be tolerated anywhere."

To report a hate crime, please call (877) 7AT-PEACE or (877) 728-7322.