CRIME MAP: Sheriff's Crime Analyst Karen Brown has produced a great map (attached in PDF) of our last few weeks rural crime. A picture is worth a thousand words and her crime fighting maps help us keep track of rural crime countywide. Take a peak at the map.

For our newest members, Once again, : We send out a Farm Watch email newsletter about once every 3 weeks. We will also send out Farm Watch Alerts as needed. The alerts are important communications about Disaster, Fire and Theft warnings.

We gained 12 new members this week. Sign up your friends by forwarding this Sheriff's Newsletter to them.

ASPHALT THEFT;
Crooks out in the Oxnard plains broke into a yard by cutting the gate locks and stole a large commercial asphalt roller. Don't forget, we need you to apply your owner numbers engraved somewhere on the frame. Use the letters CDL followed by your driver's license number. Any cop in California will know what that is and will be able to contact you later when recovered.

PICKER BAGS:
A local Fillmore farmer in the area of Telegraph and Olive thwarted an avocado theft when he found numerous picker bags full and stockpiled for late pickup by thieves. He was vigilant about inspecting his rows during this late picking season. Keep and eye out every day. remember your not the only one size picking fruit.

SANTA ROSA VALLEY:
A local nursery was broken into and the thieves stole 2 chainsaws and a large toolbox. they broke into the nursery office.

WOOLEY ROAD SYPHON:
A local farm ran dry in 3 of their diesel powered farm trucks. No, not because they didn't get their diesel delivery. That was the problem. Someone broke into the farm and syphoned out al the diesel from the trucks. Even though diesel prices are stable we have now identified a new trend. These bad guys are either reselling it at a cheap price on a farm by farm basis or it is ending up in the hands of a well known organized crime ring in the Los Angeles basin that resells stolen fuel at legitimate stations.

SANTA PAULA CANYON:
We will call him the Pine Grove Bandit. He went to great length to cut through fences and break into 3 large storage "Connex" type boxes. The Pine Grove bandit stole 3 generators, 2 pressure washers, power saws and drills.

AGGEN PROWLER:
Aggen Road is a typical quiet farming road in the west Somis area. lately a local farmer discovered a prowler at about 8:00 P.M. The prowler was poking around the farm and wearing dark jeans, black Hoodie and black boots. No doubt, he was casing the farm for a theft. He ran off when confronted. Remember, we had this same problem in West Santa Paula a few months ago. rural residents are not immune from trespassers who will look for opportunistic thefts and burglaries.

HALL ROAD BURGLAR:
This is a repeat situation of the Pine Grove Bandit. Hall Road is in the Santa Clara Valley. A suspect broke into 3 Connex storage sheds and stole a generator and portable compressor. He left other tools behind and must have been interrupted.

TRAIL HEADS:
Visitors parking at hiking trail heads were hit heavy in the last two weeks. Crooks smashed windows and took.... you got it, cash, IPODS etc.. This Farm Watch warning is like a broken record. If you leave it in the passenger compartment, it won't be there when you get back. Crooks are smart and know that a towel or blanket crumpled over on a seat means a purse or wallet underneath.

IF IT SMELLS FISHY, IT IS, CALL IN BEFORE YOU STOP:
A local farm worker was driving to a packing house late at night on Laguna Road in the Oxnard Plains. An sole attacker set up a ploy to waive down our farm worker. The attacker stood in the middle of the road, waiving arms for help. The Good Samaritan stopped his truck and was suddenly and violently attacked and robbed. The farm worker did some quick thinking tactics that saved his life. He got out of the truck and keep his cell phone. We recovered his stolen struck later in the morning, but the suspect is still outstanding. Remember, we just talked about these same circumstances on Bradley Road the prior month. Teach your family and Farm Workers to use caution. We all want to be good citizens and help others. But if it seems fishy, red flags are popping up or odd hours, remote circumstances, Don't stop! Call 911 and tell our Sheriff Dispatchers that something is wrong at the location. Be a good witness and helper.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE:
Farm, Nursery and Ranch crime surveillance systems just became more affordable. We just purchased and tested a Harbor Freight- 4 camera digital video system complete with 7 day hard drive storage. It comes with everything you need and have been procrastinating about putting in. Priced at $299 dollars, this is a bargain and will help us solve theft crimes. It doesn't come with a set of Ginso Knives, but you can also go online for a 20% discount coupon.
Don't worry, we don't have any stock or business relationship with Harbor Freight. You can pick any vendor or other system you find.

Regardless, we are more than willing to send a rural deputy out to your location and assist with design and installation help for the security camera placement.

The attached fuel theft PDF photos were taken on a similar system.

FARM THEFT ALERT SYSTEM:
Farm Watch is testing some nationally recognized driveway alert systems. These systems are perfect for rural crime prevention applications and operate off only two AA batteries that only need changing annually. The Alert will transmit a half mile to your farm or ranch residence when a vehicle passes the hidden and portable senors. When activated, a audible chime and LED indicator will tell you there is activity.
What a great way to know if someone has entered your barn, fuel or storage area. You can set up multiple transmitters and receivers in a caretakers residence or offices. The alert systems sell for under $100. We will let you know how the testing proceeds.

If you have some rural crime prevention tips or stories for our Farm Watch members email me at tim.hagel@ventura.org We have to look out for one another. It's simple numbers, folks. We have many more great citizens than there are crooks, so lets leverage our rural network and put a dent in their criminal activities.

Be Safe Farm Watch...

your Friend,
Tim BOB BROOKS- SHERIFF
Dennis Carpenter- Patrol Chief

Captain Tim Hagel
Office: 805-524-2233
Cell 805-947-8189
Home 805-529-6941
tim.hagel@ventura.org