Greetings Farm Watch...

Welcome to our newest members. We have added 14 new farm and ranch members since our last newsletter a few weeks ago.

Joining us is new members from the agriculture packing and distribution.

Also please welcome C.H.P Captain Andy James. Captain James is newly assigned to our area and heads up the Ventura Area CHP Office.

Remember, Captain Cliff Williams heads up the Moorpark Office and is an original member of Farm Watch. These two, help our Fam Watch members with issues that effect the safety on our rural roads.

Locals have noticed their stepped up traffic enforcement on Grimes Canyon.

Our current membership is at 394 ranches, farms, packing houses, nurseries, oil well facilities, ag-production and supply houses.

Do farm Watch a favor, 400 members seems like a great number. Please send this email to a few of your friends and if they would like to join us they can drop me an email at tim.hagel@ventura.org

Reassure your friends, if they join Farm Watch, they are never spammed, never bombarded with emails.

Detective Ray Dominguez Report: (Ag-Detective assigned to Farm Watch):

Ray reports that a Shotgun was just taken this weekend in the Oxnard plains. These farm shotguns are used for carbide to simply scare away the birds but can still be used as a traditional gun.

Ray ask that we make sure our workers keep these secured like any other gun. This is the second shotgun stolen from a farm in three weeks.

In addition, Ray told me today that some unknown suspects attempted to steal trees from a citrus and avocado nursery. Our thieves are getting bold. Be extra vigilant.

Sulphur Mountain:
We had another shed broken into with a commercial weed eater stolen. Typical, the suspects cut the lock. We have had many thefts in the Wheeler Canyon and Sulphur Mountain area.

Oxnard Plains:
Fertilizer and plastic crop sheeting were stolen this weekend. We find an increase in these type of thefts. Detective Dominguez has an additional fertilizer theft and added a flier that is attached, he is asking for your help.

Crime Stats:
Take a peak at the attached PDF chart of our rural crimes from January to September. We are happy with the 18 % reduction in overall crime and 29% reduction in theft. Our concern is the rise in the assault category. The increase in felony assaults is due to domestic violence and gang related events.

Remember Farm Watchers... Gangs also prey in our rural area. Be careful when confronting even a common trespasser and vandals such as taggers.

As always, call 911 and let us deal with these criminals.

Lottery:
One of our Farm Watch members just won $253,000 in the lottery. He dropped by his confirmation letter (PDF file attached) . Let's all wish him well with his winnings....

Just kidding. He wanted me to share it with you, as he L.O.L ( text talk for Laughed Out Loud).

Seems he was well educated from being a member of Farm Watch and knew exactly that it was a scam.

Remind your friends and family that the Canadian lottery scams are preying on us at an epidemic level in Ventura County. They want you to send them a deposit for lottery taxes and in turn send you a bogus check for you to deposit.

Saticoy:
We have had two separate farm pump thefts. Again, the thieves are taking practical operating equipment possibly to outfit their own farm operations.

Lake Piru:
Deputies Brown and Stevenson followed up on a reported theft from the previous night and arrested two subjects for stealing camping equipment that had been left at a campsite while the owners were away for several hours. 30 year old Joseph Cirincione and 38 year old Anthony Philip were arrested for grand theft and booked at the jail. United Water Park Rangers were instrumental in assisting deputies.

Be safe Farm Watch!

Your friend,

Tim
Captain Tim Hagel