County Honored with CSAC Challenge Award
Recognizes Road Map Task Force’s Efforts Combating Crime and Beautifying Neighborhoods
The County of Lake won a prestigious CSAC Challenge Award for the Road Map Task Force’s collaborative, community-centered approach to combating crime and beautifying neighborhoods.
For many years, the County of Lake Community Development Department (CDD) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) were spread thin having to combat many of the same challenges, such as curbing crime, managing repeat offenders and cleaning up neighborhoods throughout the County.
CDD, LCSO, Animal Care and Control, the District Attorney’s office and members of the community came together to create the Road Map Task Force, a comprehensive community-driven solution to improving the quality of life of Lake County residents through crime reduction and neighborhood beautification. The four-phase action plan included the following:
Recruiting neighborhood residents as leaders and participants.
Developing an action plan for neighborhood beautification.
Presenting the plan to the neighborhood, gaining approval and implementing the first step.
Taking responsive actions to beautify and promote safety in Lake County.
The Road Map Task Force has successfully delivered tangible results. For example, since the program’s inception, the Road Map Task Force’s efforts located and rescued nine Human Trafficking Victims, seized one-hundred ten firearms, ten pounds and twelve ounces of Fentanyl and recovered four stolen vehicles. Components of the Road Map Task Force, such as strong collaboration between the County and residents and a readily available mechanism for citizens to report violations directly to a specialized task force, helped contribute to the program’s resounding success.
You can read the program’s action plan and brochure.
On February 13, 2025, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) presented the County of Lake with a 2024 CSAC Challenge Award and honored the Road Map Task Force’s tremendous contributions in their inaugural Challenge Awards Dinner in Sacramento. The County’s project was selected from a pool of 400 other program entries from counties all over California. CSAC praised Lake County’s work with the Road Map Task Force Program stating, “This recognition is a testament to your team’s innovation, dedication, and commitment to addressing critical community challenges.”
Lake County’s CSAC Challenge Award is a symbol of the powerful force of community-focused action and collaboration; neighborhoods served by the Road Map Task Force Program are cleaner and safer.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this tremendous achievement!