Barstow, a city in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, is planning extra police patrols at grocery stores to deter theft as the food stamp aid program is set to run out of funding on Nov. 1.

The impending suspension of food aid comes as the federal government shutdown inches toward a month, making it the second-longest funding lapse in U.S. history. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, warned earlier this month that there would be insufficient funding to pay full November benefits if the shutdown continued.

About 42 million Americans rely on food stamps, including 5.5 million in California. A little more than 23% of Barstow’s population lives below the poverty line, above the state average of 17.7% and nearly double the national average of 12.4%

“We understand that these circumstances may cause additional stress for many families,” the Barstow Police Department posted on Facebook. To help ensure the safety of residents, customers, and business owners, officers will be conducting extra patrols around local grocery stores, convenience stores, and shopping centers.” 

Barstow PD said the move is “a preventative measure to maintain public safety, deter theft, and reassure the community that law enforcement is present and ready to help.”

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed the state’s National Guard to help staff food banks, which are preparing for a surge in demand similar to pandemic levels. 

“We’re really worried about kind of the overall demand and need,” said Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “We’re also going to be working on what we did during the pandemic, organizing larger distributions. Often, these are drive-thru distributions where we can serve thousands of households within a few hours.”

There were signs of progress on ending the government shutdown for the first time in weeks on Wednesday, with senators expressing cautious optimism about bipartisan talks aimed at resolving the impasse. Half of the states, including California, sued the Trump administration over the suspension of food stamp benefits, in hopes that a federal judge will order the USDA to use contingency funds to ensure SNAP continues.

“We didn’t think we’d be here,” Flood said. “Our hope is that there is a resolution back in DC. This is something that doesn’t have to happen.”