Jeri Williams Chief of Police |
Oxnard Police Department
R. Jason Benites Scott Whitney |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
INCIDENT: | New statistics show an increase in Oxnard’s FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data for the first six-months of 2013 |
DATE/TIME: | August 22, 2013 |
LOCATION: | City of Oxnard |
PREPARED BY: | Miguel Lopez, Community Affairs Manager |
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO: |
Assistant Chief Scott Whitney scott.whitney@oxnardpd.org (805) 385-7751 |
DETAILS:
The FBI gathers crime statistics from law enforcement agencies each year as part of their Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The UCR Program collects data on four violent crimes and four property crimes. The purpose of the program is to generate a reliable set of crime statistics for use by law enforcement. The Oxnard Police Department is a participating UCR agency and believes it is important to share the crime data with our residents.
The City of Oxnard has experienced an increase in reported crime for the first six months of 2013. Reported crime began to rise in 2012 and has continued on this trend for the first half of 2013. The UCR crime categories and the reported crime data for the first six months of 2012 and 2013 are listed below.
Part I Crimes |
2012 (Jan-Jun) |
2013 (Jan-Jun) |
Numerical Difference |
Violent Crimes | |||
Homicide | 4 | 6 | 2 |
Rape | -1 | 7 | 8 |
Robbery | 150 | 161 | 11 |
Aggravated Assault | 135 | 153 | 18 |
Total | 288 | 327 | 39 |
Property Crimes | |||
Burglary | 401 | 516 | 115 |
Motor Vehicle Theft | 239 | 284 | 45 |
Larceny (Theft) | 1,269 | 1,733 | 464 |
Arson | 19 | 10 | -9 |
Total | 1,928 | 2,543 | 615 |
Grand Total | 2,216 | 2,870 | 654 |
Under the crime categories of Violent Crimes, there was a 13% increase in aggravated assaults and a 7% increase in robberies. The city also experienced two more homicides in first six months of 2013 than in the same time period in 2012. The crime category for rapes shows a negative number for the first six months of 2012 because several previously reported rapes were unfounded during that period.
Property crimes had the biggest category increase, with reported larcenies (thefts) up nearly 37% in 2013, as compared to 2012. The numbers of reported burglaries increased by 29% throughout the city and motor vehicle thefts were up 19%.
For reporting purposes, the crime category of theft is divided into eight classifications: Bicycles, Coin-Operated Devices, From Building, From Motor Vehicle, Purse-Snatch/Pick Pocket, Shoplift, Vehicle Parts, and All Other. Listed below is a comparison by type of theft from 2012 to 2013, January through June.
Category | 2012 | 2013 | Numerical Difference | Percent Change |
All Other | 202 | 260 | 58 | 28.7% |
Bicycles | 77 | 67 | -10 | -13.0% |
Coin-Operated Devices | 8 | 4 | -4 | -50.0% |
From Building | 104 | 77 | -27 | -26.0% |
From Motor Vehicle | 414 | 746 | 332 | 80.2% |
Purse Snatch/Pocket Pick | 2 | 0 | -2 | -100.0% |
Shoplift | 345 | 453 | 108 | 31.3% |
Vehicle Parts | 117 | 126 | 9 | 7.7% |
Total | 1269 | 1733 | 464 | 36.6% |
The increases in crime coincide with the enactment of Asembly Bill 109, which created California’s Realignment plan. The Realignment plan came about after a federal court order to the state to reduce overcrowding in the state’s 33 prisons. “While the prison reduction plan has focused on offenders that are considered low level, many of them are habitual offenders. All other things being equal, when chronic offenders spend less time in custody, they have more opportunities to commit crimes,” said Assistant Chief Scott Whitney. He added, “the biggest challenge with the prison Realignment Plan is reducing recidivism.”
Since the enactment of Assembly Bill 109, there have been approximately 255 individuals released from the California Department of Corrections (CDC), under the Realignment plan, that reside, or are transient within, the City of Oxnard. The Oxnard Police Department works collaboratively with other agencies in Ventura County, including the Probation Agency, to minimize the potential negative effects that this program has on the city’s crime rate. An Oxnard police officer is assigned, full-time, to work with the Probation Agency to monitor these post release offenders. Data shows that the City of Oxnard has the most Post Release Offenders in the County of Ventura.
The Oxnard Police Department has made approximately 375 arrests for sections directly related to the Post Release Offender program from November 1, 2011 to July 31, 2013. Of these Post Release Offenders 138 (36%) had additonal charges, the majority of which were narcotic, other, and property related.
“The Oxnard Police Department encourages community members to remain vigilant, secure property, and report any suspicious activity. Much of the increase in property crime can be prevented by not leaving valuables in your vehicle, and securing our doors and windows when one is not home,” said Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams. “We have a collective responsibilty to work to reduce crime and increase public safety in our City, and look forward to working with and empowering our neighborhoods to address these concerns that we all share,” she added.