SAN DIEGO -- Under action taken by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, a county task force will be established to develop recommendations to deal with the growing problem of identity theft.

The task force will be formed in partnership with the District Attorney's Office. The county is also hoping to work with the Sheriff's Department, the San Diego Police Department, community-based organizations and businesses to develop recommendations to combat identity theft.

Supervisors also set aside $25,000 in one-time funds for the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center for community outreach and assistance to identity theft victims. The money will come from the county's community projects budget.

The board also urged legislators to toughen penalties for people convicted of identity theft crimes.

"For many criminals, gaining access to another person's name, finances and personal information has become as simple as surfing the Internet," said Board Chair Greg Cox, who hosted the conference along with District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

"We must all stand guard to protect our personal information as law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office work to identify and prosecute this insidious crime," Cox said.