DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: John Zanoni, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Grant Application and Award for Cal OES Internet Crimes Against Children Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator, or their designee, as the official designated to execute a Grant Application/Agreement including, Certification of Assurance and Subrecipient Grants Management Assessment forms for the 2026 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Program grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), including any amendments and extensions, which assists local law enforcement agencies in enhancing their investigative response to offenders who use the internet, online communication systems, or other computer technology to sexually exploit children, to fund activities of the Fresno County Sheriff’s ICAC Task Force, for the term of January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027 in the amount of $1,350,000;
2. Approve and authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute Budget Transfer No. 83 transferring FY 2026-27 appropriations in the amount of $110,000 in Org 31116310 from Account 7308 (Hardware, Parts, & Supplies) ($21,586), 7415 (Trans, Travel, & Education) ($29,645) and 7309 (Computer Service Software) ($58,769) to Org 31116310 in Account 8300 (Equipment), Program 92188, within the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Org 3111 for the purchase of two unmarked ICAC vehicles.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Cal OES released this funding application exclusively to the five current federally funded ICAC Task Forces in California, which includes the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office is requesting your Board authorize the Sheriff or their designee as the designated official to submit these documents, including any amendments and extensions. Without this authorization, a modification would be required in January 2027, when the Chairman of the Board changes seats. Once the Grant Subaward Face Sheet, Certification of Assurance of Compliance, and Subrecipient Grants Management Assessment are signed with Cal OES by the Sheriff or their designee, the award documents become the final agreement between the County and Cal OES. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the grant funds would be denied, which would impact the Department’s ability to investigate computer crimes targeting children.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Sheriff’s Org 31116310 FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget to fund four full-time positions in the Sheriff’s ICAC Task Force through June 30, 2027 and will be included in future budget requests. The grant term is calendar year January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, and spanning both FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28. There is no local match requirement associated with the program. Approval of the second recommended action will transfer existing FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget appropriations from the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Org 3111 Account 7308, 7415, and 7309 to the Department’s Equipment account 8300 in the amount of $110,000 for the purchase of two unmarked ICAC vehicles.
DISCUSSION:
The ICAC Task Force was created to assist local law enforcement agencies in enhancing their investigative response to offenders who use the internet, online communication systems, or other computer technology to sexually exploit children. The Sheriff’s Office has six funded positions on the ICAC Task Force, four of which are funded by Cal OES. The remaining two positions are fully funded with federal funds. The Board has approved ICAC grant agreements for the Sheriff’s Office since 2012.
Since 2012, the Board has authorized the Sheriff’s Office to apply for and accept annual ICAC grant funding from Cal OES to support the Sheriff’s ICAC Task Force operations. Funding has consistently supported three Deputy Sheriff positions, with an additional Sergeant position added in 2023, as well as overtime, operational costs, and specialized equipment, including: forensic tools, mobile forensic vehicles, digital storage upgrades, and undercover vehicles. Over the years, funding has also provided for phone cracking tools, forensic computers, an electronic detection K9, emotional wellness and decompression training for ICAC personnel.
Due to the grant term aligning with the calendar year and involving more than one Chairman of the Board, modifications have been required pursuant to Cal OES policy. To illustrate this sustained support and growth, the following list details the specific grants, funding amounts, and operational enhancements authorized by the Board over the years:
• Initial Grant (2012): The Board first authorized a $100,000 grant application (effective July 2012 - June 2013) for basic task force operations, including overtime and specialized equipment.
• Major Expansion (2018-2020): A $1,000,000 grant (effective July 2018 - December 2020) was executed to partially fund two Deputy Sheriff positions, purchase the Graykey iPhone cracking tool, and invest in forensic equipment and a K9 unit.
o In March 2020, an additional $950,000 allocation added a third Deputy Sheriff position and enabled the purchase of additional equipment, including five vehicles.
• Sustained Annual Funding (2021-2024): The Board established a continuous pattern of authorizing annual grants for $950,000 (effective January 1 through December 31 each year), covering the task force's operational costs.
o 2021 & 2022: Funded three Deputy Sheriff positions and provided forensic tools, specific training, and undercover vehicles.
o 2023: Funding was authorized for the twelfth year and expanded to include three Deputy Sheriff positions and one Sergeant position.
o 2024: Funding was authorized for the thirteenth year, sustaining the three Deputy Sheriff and one Sergeant positions.
o 2025: Funding was authorized for the fourteenth year, sustaining the three Deputy Sheriff and one Sergeant positions.
• Inter-Agency Support (2022): In August 2022, the Board authorized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Fresno Police Department (FPD) to allow an FPD officer to use a County vehicle for ICAC investigations.
On November 4, 2025, the Board authorized the Sheriff as the designated official to execute the ICAC grant application/agreement in the amount of $1,350,000 effective from January 1, 2026. , through December 31, 2026. In this capacity, the Board designated the Sheriff as the official signatory to satisfy Cal OES requirement since the grant term was for the calendar year and involved more than one Chairman of the Board (Cal OES’s requires a modification when there is a change in the Board’s designated official). This grant funded three Deputy Sheriff(s), one Sergeant position(s) in the Sheriff’s ICAC Task Force, costs for overtime, attendance to a conference, laptops, and forensic tools. This grant application/agreement was the fifteenth year of funding.
The five previously funded ICAC Task Forces, including Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and San Jose Police Department, were each allocated an award of $1,350,000 to cover one calendar year, beginning January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2027. The intent of the ICAC program funding opportunity is to better ensure local law enforcement agencies are adequately equipped to investigate computer crimes that target our youth, provide educational programs aimed at law enforcement officers, teachers, parents, and children. In addition, the ICAC program serves as a forensic resource to law enforcement agencies within each service area, pursue the prosecution of cases at the local, state, and federal level, and participate in nationally coordinated investigative efforts.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will use its allocation from this round of grant funding to continue the funding of one Sergeant, three Deputy Sheriff positions, overtime, Cellebrite, Magnet Forensics, and Advanced Digital Forensics Pro subscriptions, virtual Cellebrite training, and unmarked vehicles. Cal-OES moved to a new online Grants Central System (GCS) on July 15, 2024, to allow applicants to apply for and manage Cal-OES grant funds. Cal OES requires the County to obtain written authorization from its governing board, i.e., the Board of Supervisors, that the official executing the agreement and related documents is authorized.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI# 22, November 4, 2025
BAI# 30, November 5, 2024
BAI# 38, November 28, 2023
BAI# 5, November 29, 2022
BAI # 26, August 9, 2022
BAI #27, November 2, 2021
BAI #34, November 24, 2020
BAI #29, March 10, 2020
BAI #27, October 9, 2018
BAI# 19, September 11, 2012
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Application/Agreement
On file with Clerk - Budget Transfer No. 83
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck