Areas patrolled by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department – the contract cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Thousand Oaks as well as the unincorporated areas of the county – averaged a 1-percent increase in overall crime.Combining violent and property crimes, the crime rate (crimes per 1,000 residents) statistics for Ventura County cities are: Camarillo, 20.1 crime rate, total crime up 7.5 percent from 2002; Fillmore, crime rate 19.9, total crime down 6.1 percent; Ojai, crime rate 27.5, total crime down 9 percent; Oxnard, crime rate 30.6, total crime up 1 percent; Moorpark, crime rate 10.7, total crime up 28.9 percent; Port Hueneme, crime rate, 25.2, total crime not changed over the previous year; Simi Valley, crime rate 17.5, total crime up 14.4 percent; Thousand Oaks, crime rate 16.3, total crime down 3.5 percent; Ventura, crime rate 40.6, total crime up 14 percent. In Ventura County’s unincorporated areas, the 2003 crime rate was 13.9, total crime down 7.9 percent.In Santa Paula, the 2003 crime rate was 21 crimes per 1,000 residents and total crime decreased by 33 percent.SPPD Chief Bob Gonzales said earlier this year that the crime rate decrease can be credited to the crime suppression unit formed in April 2003 that has targeted gangs, drugs and graffiti as well as the grant funded probation officer now working with officers.
Santa Paula overall crime down, lower crime rate booked
March 26, 2004
Santa Paula News
Santa Paula is the only city in Ventura County to see a 2003 decrease in crime, beating even the statewide trend of increases, according to the annual report that tracks criminal offenses.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesSanta Paula is the only city in Ventura County to see a 2003 decrease in crime, beating even the statewide trend of increases, according to the annual report that tracks criminal offenses. In addition, the city’s crime rate per resident was just slightly higher than Camarillo and lower than Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura.According to statistics released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Simi Valley’s violent crime increased by 20 percent while Santa Paula’s violent crime dropped by 14 percent. In addition, Santa Paula saw a 35 percent decrease in property crime.Crime categories for 2003 showed that larceny led the pack with 11,084 incidents reported; 3,472 burglaries – 18.8 percent of the total - were committed and auto theft hit 1,683, 9.1 percent.Forty-three homicides countywide made up .02 percent of the total of 2003 crimes committed, rape 0.07 percent with 130 reported incidents, 1,217 assaults for 6.6 percent and arson, 190 incidents for 1.0 percent.