News Release: At-Risk Missing Person (2/20/23)

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:  

The City of Oxnard reported a total of 4,515 crimes for calendar year 2022.  This figure, which represents Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics offenses, indicates an overall increase of 7.81% from the previous year.

Despite the increase, Oxnard’s level of reported UCR crime remains 10% lower than the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, which saw a reported 5,107 crimes.  The final figure for 2022 UCR reportable crimes (4,515), is the second lowest reported crime year in Oxnard over the last ten years, and the third lowest year since 1992.

Contained within this news release are the UCR statistics for 2022. 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 “Part One” crimes that fall under two broad categories: violent crime and property crime.   

The below table contains UCR crimes reported in 2022:

As noted in the chart, the City of Oxnard reported an overall 7.81% increase in Part 1 crimes for 2022. There were 327 more reported crimes than in the previous year. For violent crimes, there was a 19.2% increase, and for property crimes, there was a 5.6% increase, as compared to 2021. 

Violent Crime

There were nine (9) homicides in 2022, four (4) less than the previous year. Oxnard’s 2022 homicide clearance rate was 33%, all of which were cleared by arrests. A more detailed explanation is listed in the supplemental report to this news release.

Violent crime saw an increase in robberies (20.8%), an increase in aggravated assaults (23.6%), and one additional reported rape (1.2%) in 2022 as compared to the previous year. Also, there was an overall increase of 25.6% in domestic violence-related offenses in 2022 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 increases in burglary (25.7%) and motor vehicle theft (32.3%). There was a reduction in larceny, commonly referred to as theft, (-2.2%) and a reduction in arson (-13.2%). 

The Oxnard Police Department had set a previous goal to report the 2022 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. To accurately collect the additional data elements to the FBI (NIBRS) standards, California law enforcement records management systems vendors had to build new programs to include those additional data sets. This delayed many California agencies, including the Oxnard Police Department, from meeting the goal to submit and report NIBRS crime data in 2022.  However, the Oxnard Police Department aims to release 2023 year-end crime statistics from data collected using NIBRS. 

It is important to understand the difference between UCR and NIBRS crime reporting. UCR crime data is collected by reporting the highest level offense in each criminal incident. This summary of crime information is tabulated in monthly reports. NIBRS, however, collects detailed data on each criminal offense within each incident. NIBRS goes much deeper to provide circumstances and context for crimes, which will provide a more detailed understanding of crime patterns, and help law enforcement make informed decisions about crime prevention and public safety.

Chief Jason Benites stated, “We have been fortunate to have experienced a downward trend in reported crime in Oxnard for the past seven years.  Oxnard experienced an unprecedented 18% drop in reported crime in 2021, marking that year as having the least reported crime in a decade (and the second lowest year since 1992).  It is not surprising that when statistics drop to a low point, we then see an uptick in the following time period, as figures revert towards average year levels.”

He added, “The past three years in our world have also been extraordinary ones.  The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in our society.  Behaviors changed as restrictions accompanied the pandemic.  As emergency orders were scaled back, and are soon to be rescinded, we find ourselves trending back to pre-pandemic years.  This includes activities and behaviors, and crime expectedly comes along with that.  Crime reduction is a fundamental department priority, and we will continue to put forth great effort to keep our community safe.”