Nineteen construction and home improvement workers were cited in the San Diego area this week as part of a statewide crackdown on unlicensed contractors, a state agency announced today.
The Contractors State License Board conducted the sweep in 10 cities on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, identifying a total of 135 tradespeople offering their services without proper certification.
The local suspects received notices to appear in court in May.
The CSLB's "California Blitz'' operation took place in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Kings, Madera, Marin, Monterey, Sacramento, Shasta and Tulare counties.
Among the scores of suspects taken into custody during the enforcement effort were two registered sex offenders and two other people with outstanding arrest warrants for burglary, domestic violence and driving while intoxicated, according to the CSLB.
"Consumers must check out the people they're going to hire to work on their home to make sure they're properly licensed,'' said Steve Sands, registrar for the state licensing board.
"A family's safety or finances could be jeopardized by not taking a few minutes to verify the contractor on CSLB's website or through our toll-free phone system,'' he said. "We hope this blitz is a wake-up call for consumers to check the license first.''
The state panel conducts such enforcement operations twice a year as a means of educating consumers about the dangers of hiring phony contractors and encouraging construction workers to get licensed, as required by state law. Taking part in the sweep locally were the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and District Attorney's Office.
