WELCOME FARM WATCH READERS!

Detective Ray Dominguez had the following to report for this edition:

Farm Watch readers, as I review reports and statistics compiled from this year, It’s hard not to notice that crime rates as they relate to agricultural crimes have dropped significantly. I attribute much of this success to the hard work of deputies patrolling in the unincorporated areas of the county, and your strong interest and dedication to protecting yourselves and your property. I hope this trend continues in the new year as we work together to reduce crime in our area even further.

As we end this year, I do have a couple of cases of interest that I want to mention. First, a copper wire theft from multiple wind machines at a Somis farm. It’s unknown exactly when the theft occurred because the wind machines were not used for an extended period of time. There are no suspects identified in this case, and no viable evidence was located at the crime scene. A check of local scrap metal yards has been fruitless. If you have any wind machines or water pumps on your property, please check them regularly and take steps to protect the electrical boxes from attack. If you have battery operated equipment that is not being used regularly, remove the batteries and bring them in to a more secure location for storage during the off season.

The second case involves the theft of multiple saddles from a horse ranch located on Los Angeles Avenue in Somis. In this case, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into conex storage containers and horse trailers and stole various saddles and bridles. Again, no suspects have been identified in this case, and no viable evidence was located at the scene. Please keep your eyes open for any suspicious subjects trying to sell saddles or other tack at a price that’s too good to be true. Detective Arthur at the Camarillo Police Station is working this case, and would appreciate any information you can provide. He can be contacted at (805) 388-5149. I’ve spoken with Detective Arthur regarding this case, and he will be working with the victims to create a flyer providing a detailed description of the stolen saddles for distribution at a later date.

In the interest of furthering our success in reducing crime in the New Year, I am pleased to announce that the time has finally arrived for the Owner Applied Number (OAN) update campaign to kick off. I’ve mentioned in past editions of Farm Watch that I have been working to update and expand the OAN program. With the help of the Sheriff’s Crime Analysis Unit, a new database was developed to store the OAN program information. The problem is with information we currently have on file for many of the participants in the OAN program is outdated. In an effort to update our records, we will be sending letters out to current OAN program participants requesting that you complete the enclosed application form and return it to us. Please note that if you have multiple OAN numbers issued to you, a separate application form needs to be completed for each number as it corresponds to a separate ranch or farm location. If you have any questions about this, you can contact me to discuss this matter.

If you currently have an OAN assigned to you, you should be receiving our update letter in the mail within the next couple of weeks. If you have a number issued to you, but don’t receive a letter from us, please contact me directly at (805) 384-4726 or by email at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.

Along with updating the OAN files, I’m also very pleased to announce that I have received some much needed funding for the purchase of marking equipment. The marking equipment will be used to stamp OAN numbers on your property. A great big “Thank You” goes out to the board members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Foundation for graciously providing the funds to purchase this equipment and making this program possible.

The equipment has been ordered and should be arriving soon. Once the equipment gets here, I plan on training Sheriff’s volunteers and cadets on the proper use of this new equipment, and will be offering free marking services to OAN Program Members in the near future. Details on the marking program and how to request this service will be discussed in future Farm Watch newsletters so stay tuned!

As a final comment, I would like to personally thank each of you for your continued support throughout the year, and look forward to working with you in the New Year. I wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season!

Thanks,
Ray

The following advice is always wise if you suspect illegal activity on your property:

Call the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 911.
Be a good witness
Note suspect descriptions such as age, height, weight, facial hair, clothing, and shoe type.
If a vehicle is involved, obtain a license plate number and note vehicle color, body damage, bumper stickers, camper shell, after market tires and wheels, etc.
Provide the dispatcher with information about the time and last known direction of travel.

If you are not sure of how to address the problem or would like additional crime prevention tips please contact your local Sheriff’s Office substation or Detective Ray Dominguez directly at (805) 384-4726 or by email at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.

Contacts:
Camarillo Detective Mark Corriea, mark.corriea@ventura.org
Fillmore Detective John Fox john.fox@ventura.org
Ventura Detective Christine Rettura Christine.rettura@ventura.org
Agricultural Crimes Detective, Ray Dominguez at Ray.Dominguez@ventura.org

As always, we would like to thank Sheriff’s Crime Analyst Karen Brown and Det. Ray Dominguez, for this issue’s great crime and alert update.

Be alert and always safe!
Monica (797-6338)

Geoff Dean - Sheriff
John Crombach and Gary Pentis - Assistant Sheriffs