WELCOME FARM WATCH READERS!

The overall crime rate for this period vs. the same time period last year shows a decrease, however, we continue to have larcenies that include farm equipment and landscaping tools.

Agricultural Crimes Detective Ray Dominguez had the following update from his activities and investigations:

“Earlier this month we began seeing heavy equipment thefts being reported in the Camarillo area with a Bobcat skid steer and a John Deere tractor being stolen from two different farms. Another victim in Ventura was targeted for two burglaries within a week, and suspect(s) stole an ATV among other equipment and products.

These incidents only highlight the importance of marking and securing your property. The steps you take today to protect your property will pay dividends in the event you become the victim of a crime.

As I have mentioned in past editions of Farm Watch, please mark your equipment and document the make/model/serial number/OAN number somewhere you can easily gain access to it. This information is a critical part of reporting your loss to law enforcement as well as your insurance company. Go a step further and take photos of your property. These can later be used to produce a flyer for dissemination to other law enforcement agencies, Farm Watch members, and various businesses. Upon receipt of this vital information, deputies can enter the data into a national police database. In the event your property is recovered, it can be returned to you in a timely manner.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have conducted probation or parole searches and found property that was suspected of being stolen, but couldn’t be identified as such because the victim was unknown and the items were never properly entered into the police database as stolen. Please do your part to protect and document your property to make it tougher for crooks to steal/sell your property.

Some of you may remember an old automotive repair commercial that espoused “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” Spending a little time and money now to protect your investment by adding theft deterrent devices such as a quality lock, a kill switch, or a GPS tracking device will provide piece of mind and quite possibly reduce what you will pay to insure your property.

Please don’t forget the simple things you can do that don’t cost a dime. Bring your equipment in at the end of the day and keep it out of sight. This will help prevent thefts from occurring and minimize the chance of damages from vandalism.

I also encourage you to be a good witness in the event you see something that seems out of place. Often times the equipment being stolen is taken after normal business hours and on holidays when many folks aren’t even working. You may notice the equipment is being transported in an unsafe manner because the crooks often load the equipment in a hurry. Because of their haste, suspects often use the wrong type of trailer and fail to properly secure the equipment. If you see something…say something. Call your local law enforcement agency and report it!

If you have any questions about getting an Owner Applied Number (OAN) issued or have an interest in purchasing security products, please contact me at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.”

Additionally, the following information is from our Narcotics Bureau as California is the leading marijuana production state in the country. We pass this useful information on to all of the agricultural communities, as we need to be alert of suspicious and illegal activity in our forests and numerous agricultural properties:

Traditionally, large marijuana gardens were located in our National Forests and run by drug organizations throughout the state. A new trend has emerged over the past few years where large areas of agricultural properties in California are being purchased and/or leased by sophisticated Mexican and Asian Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO’s) specifically to grow marijuana. These DTO’s are financed by both Mexican and Asian drug cartels and attempt to hide behind the protections of California marijuana laws as defined in Prop 215 and SB 420.

Claiming that these gardens are legal, landowners are offered large sums of money to allow these seemingly legitimate growers to grow marijuana on their property. Several law enforcement investigations in Northern and Southern California have proven that the marijuana is often shipped to other parts of the United States for large profits, which is contrary to the guidelines set forth in Proposition 215.

Northern California, the Central Valley, and areas south of us including San Diego County, have reported these types of operations within their jurisdictions. To date, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have not seen these large growing operations on private property, but believe they will likely arrive based on our prime growing conditions.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like the farming community to be aware that these operations are often illegal and can run hand in hand with cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin smuggling organizations. We ask that if anyone becomes aware of this illegal activity, please notify law enforcement immediately.

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) 477-7029 or by email at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.

Contacts:

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, Det. Ray Dominguez, and our Narcotics Bureau 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