FBI Opens Antelope Valley Branch Office

The FBI has opened a branch office in Lancaster in response to a rise in white-collar crime and bank robberies in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys.

The two outlying valleys were previously served by agents from the FBI’s Westwood office, but maintaining a presence in Lancaster is more cost-effective than having agents commute, said Gary Auer, the FBI supervisor in charge of the Lancaster branch and bureau operations in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Three agents who live in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys have been assigned to temporary quarters in the state Department of Corrections office on Sierra Court, Auer said Friday. The office opened Oct. 21.

The FBI is responsible for eight categories of federal crimes. The Lancaster branch probably will deal most frequently with crimes such as bank robbery or white-collar offenses such as fraud in banking and the defense industry, Auer said. The two valleys are home to several defense contractors.

Statistics on the increase in crime were not available Friday, but Auer said the rise was significant enough to require the new office.

The branch also will conduct background checks for federal agencies and deal with narcotics crimes, organized crime, counterterrorism, public corruption cases and civil rights violations, Auer said.

The agency is looking for a permanent office in Lancaster and expects to move in by April, Auer said.

Lancaster is the ideal location for the office because of the proximity of many law enforcement agencies, such as the federal magistrate and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, Auer said.