Countywide : Hart Endorsed for Reelection by Peace Officers Group

Calling state Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) “one of the most effective supporters of law enforcement in the Legislature,” the California Peace Officers Research Assn. has endorsed his reelection.

The association, the largest of its kind in the state, praised Hart’s efforts to establish a program to track down violent criminals using DNA analysis the same way that fingerprints are used. Last year, Hart successfully pushed the bill through the Legislature to establish the DNA analysis program.

“The DNA sampling system is the most advanced technology that can be used to identify perpetrators of violent crimes,” said Larry Malmberg, association president. Information collected from the statewide genetic data bank will make it easier for law enforcement officials to catch and prosecute repeat offenders, he said in a statement.

The association has about 2,000 members in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, including the Ventura Sheriff’s Assn. and police associations in Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

Hart’s chief opponent in the election is Republican Carey Rogers, 49, a Goleta bank executive and the mother of two children. She has never held public office.

Hart is expected to beat Rogers in the November election in the 19th Senate District, which extends from Santa Barbara through Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme to Topanga and part of Woodland Hills.