Barnes said the joint task force model, which had been in place for more than 40 years, is no longer delivering the kind of outcomes agencies want to see. Designed by Freepik

SUTTER COUNTY, CA (MPG) – A long-running regional drug and gang task force is coming to an end, and Sutter County officials are preparing for a shift in how investigations are handled.

The Sutter County Board of Supervisors earlier this month approved the purchase of a $45,000 vehicle for the sheriff’s office, a move tied to replacing the shared NET-5 investigator vehicle as the unit winds down and the county transitions to a new investigations model.

NET-5, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotics and Gang Task Force, has for decades brought together law enforcement agencies from Sutter and Yuba counties to handle investigations across jurisdictional lines, officials said. The Marysville Police Department withdrew from the task force in 2012 due to budget constraints.

Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes said the remaining agencies, which include the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department and Yuba City Police Department, have now agreed to dissolve the unit entirely at the end of the current fiscal year.

Barnes said the joint task force model, which had been in place for more than 40 years, is no longer delivering the kind of outcomes agencies want to see.

“It hasn’t produced the results we were hoping for,” Barnes told the board. “What we want is more proactive enforcement out in the city and the county, taking care of our residents in a timely manner.”

Instead of relying on a shared task force, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office will partner with the Yuba City Police Department to form a Special Investigation Unit beginning July 1. The new unit is expected to focus more directly on local cases while allowing each agency to maintain its own personnel and resources.

Barnes said the change is intended to keep investigations closer to home, rather than committing significant time to cases that extend outside Sutter County, a shift aimed at improving response and outcomes for local residents. He said the agencies will continue sharing information as needed, but the focus will shift to Sutter County cases.

The vehicle approved by supervisors will be assigned to that new unit and purchased ahead of the transition so it is ready for use when the new structure takes effect.

The vehicle is funded through asset seizure funds tied to the NET-5 program and does not impact the county’s general fund.