Fagundes said on Monday it was appropriate that it be kept at his residence because the security was better there. Previously he said the trailer was repeatedly vandalized when parked on county property.
“The county is looking for $80,000 to put it indoors. (They) don’t have it,” Fagundes said.
The change comes after a complaint from a constituent, said Kyria Martinez, assistant county administrative officer.
Martinez said there are several areas of county property where the trailer can be placed where it will be secure. The trailer is used if there is a mass casualty incident in the county, for the victim witness program and community events such as autism awareness. The trailer was at an autism awareness event at Civic Park in Hanford on Saturday, said Fagundes.
The placement of the trailer had become an issue in the district attorney’s race after Fagundes’ opponent Sarah Hacker brought the matter to the voters’ attention. A drone photo showed the trailer at Fagundes’ residence.
Prior to the trailer issue surfacing, the county had been working on its off-site vehicle policy, Martinez said.
Sheriff’s deputies are allowed to take their patrol vehicles to their private residences overnight. Martinez said the trailer is not in the same category. Patrol vehicles, she said, are assigned to deputies.
There is a Memorandum of Understanding with the sheriff’s department that allows them to take their vehicles home.