News Release: Serious Injury Hit and Run Traffic Collision (3/1/22)

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:  

This past year, much like 2020, presented unusual challenges and changes that were often unexpected and unpredictable. However, Oxnard remained steadfast and resilient, despite the many challenges and often unpredictable changes. As a result, overall reported crime in Oxnard for the year 2021 showed a decrease of 18.01%.

Contained within this news release are the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for 2021. The UCR program, managed by the US Department of Justice, collects crime statistics from over 18,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Oxnard Police Department has tracked UCR statistics for the past five decades. The statistics are classified into eight (8) “Part One” crimes that fall under two broad categories: violent crime and property crime.   

Below is the chart containing UCR crimes reported in 2021:

As noted in the chart, the City of Oxnard reported an overall 18.01% decrease in reported Part 1 crimes for 2021. There were nine hundred and twenty (920) fewer crimes reported in 2021 than in the previous year. For violent crimes, there was a 6.7% decrease, and for property crimes, there was a 19.9% decrease, as compared to 2020.

Violent Crime

There were thirteen (13) homicides in 2021, which is five (5) more than the previous year. Oxnard’s 2021 homicide clearance rate was 38%, all of which were cleared by arrests. Additionally, arrest warrants have been issued in two (2) 2021 homicide cases. A more detailed explanation is listed in the supplemental report to this news release.  

Violent crime experienced a reduction in robberies (-33.2%), with an increase in aggravated assaults (+9.2%) and rape (+1.2%). There was an overall 7.2% decrease in domestic violence-related offenses in 2021 as compared to the previous year. Though domestic violence offenses do not have their own UCR category, we have included Oxnard’s statistics:

Property Crime

Property crime in Oxnard experienced reductions in burglary (-32.9%), larceny (commonly referred to as theft) (-12.7%), and motor vehicle theft (-40.7%). The sole category in property crime for which there was an increase was arson (+61.9%), with 26 more arson incidents than the previous year. The increase in arson incidents is attributed to a reporting methodology error between the fire department and the police department. Training was conducted for both departments to prevent reporting errors in the future. 

It was the goal of the Oxnard Police Department to report the 2021 crime statistics using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). NIBRS is viewed as a more comprehensive reporting system as compared to the UCR program. Testing of NIBRS is still being conducted to ensure timely and accurate crime statistics. In the future, the Oxnard Police Department will release year-end crime statistics from data collected using NIBRS.

For the second year in a row, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced virtually every household, business, and organization to make changes and adapt.  Law enforcement continued to find itself challenged from many angles, namely in terms of subsequent COVID surges, employee health protection, workforce and operational adjustments, socially distanced policing; and reduced jail capacity.   However, Oxnard was fortunate, and continued to withstand the challenges.

I must commend the Oxnard Police Department’s employees on their response and dedication to the City of Oxnard during another challenging year.  I would also like to thank our community for continuing to work alongside us. 

Jason Benites, Chief of Police

DATE / TIME PREPARED:  February 16, 2022, 5:00 pm

NEWS RELEASE: SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT

DATE: February 16, 2022 

SUBJECT: 2021 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Data

LOCATION: Citywide – City of Oxnard

CONTACT: Alex Arnett, Investigative Services Bureau Commander

[email protected]; (805) 385-7620

The purpose of this supplemental news release is to provide more detailed information about Oxnard’s crime statistics for 2021. 

In 1930, the national Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was created as a way for the federal government to collect a reliable set of crime statistics from city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Oxnard Police Department has been contributing UCR statistics for five (5) decades.

The UCR program utilizes a hierarchical system to prioritize and categorize offenses. The hierarchy rule requires that an incident with multiple offenses or charges be narrowed down to a single offense, usually the most serious charge. The Part I schedule includes the crimes in the following table:

Homicides

The Oxnard Police Department investigated thirteen (13) homicides in 2021. Four (4) of the thirteen (13) homicides were gang related.  Of the thirteen (13) homicides, seven (7) involved a firearm, four (4) involved a knife, one (1) involved a vehicle, and one (1) involved other types of weapon.

Regarding the victim-offender relationship in the homicides, two (2) were acquaintances, one (1) was a common-law partner, one (1) was a neighbor, one (1) was a stranger, and eight (8) had no known or an unknown relationship.

Of the thirteen (13) homicides that were reported in 2021, five (5) homicide offenses were cleared by arrest. Additionally, there are two (2) warrants of arrest issued for homicide offenses.

Rape

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”  Based on the reporting criteria, the Oxnard Police Department reported 82 offenses to the FBI.

Robbery

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice define robbery as “the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.” 

The number of robberies decreased from 274 in 2020 to 183 in 2021. The decrease occurred in all categories: there were 70 fewer robberies to a person, a decrease of 40.7%; ten (10) fewer robbery crimes to a business, a decrease of 14.7%; and eleven (11) fewer carjacking crimes, a decrease of 32.4%.

Aggravated Assault

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define aggravated assault as “an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault involves a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.” 

Aggravated assaults increased by 9.2% with 35 more aggravated assaults in 2021 as compared to 2020 statistics. The aggravated assaults category is broad. The relationships between the victim and offender(s) are broken down as follows:

Burglary

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define burglary as “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.”  The number of burglaries decreased by 32.9%, for a total of 210 fewer crimes. The decrease occurred in both categories, with 86 fewer burglary crimes to a residence, a decrease of 28.9%, and 124 fewer burglary crimes to a commercial structure, a decrease of 36.5%.

Larceny (Thefts)

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define larceny as “an unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.”

The crime category of larceny (theft) decreased by 12.7% overall. There were 2,538 larcenies reported during the calendar year 2020 and 2,907 reported during 2020, a decrease of 369 incidents. 

Motor Vehicle Theft

For crime classification and reporting purposes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define motor vehicle theft as “the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.” A motor vehicle is defined as a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land or surface.

Motor vehicle theft decreased by 40.7%. There were 461 motor vehicle thefts reported during the calendar year 2021 and 778 during 2020, for a total of 317 fewer crimes. Many of these vehicle thefts were still preventable. Approximately 26%, or 122 car thefts, were considered preventable in 2021.

Arson

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define arson as “any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.”

During 2021, there were 68 reported arson incidents compared to 42 in 2020, an increase of 61.9%, or 26 more crimes. The highest increase was in arsons to community or public property, which increased by 11 incidents, or 220%.

A Final Look at UCR 2021

Through all the ups and downs of 2021, the police department and the community managed to reduce the overall UCR crime rate, for a 18.01% decrease from 2020, or 920 fewer crimes.  The final number of total UCR 2021 reportable crimes, 4,188, is the lowest reported crime year in the last 10 years (2012-2021). 

Moving into 2022, the Oxnard Police Department will be reporting crime through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).  NIBRS collects and presents data from more than 50 offenses. Future press releases will contain data from NIBRS.