Ventura County Named Safest Larger County in California
By Gazette Staff Writers — Thursday, December 21st, 2023
VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura County law enforcement is pleased to highlight a recent report on crime rates published by the Ventura County Civic Alliance. The report identifies Ventura County as the safest large county in California, according to data from the California Department of Justice. The report shows that Ventura County had the lowest rates of reported crimes amongst the 16 largest counties in California in 2022. While many large counties in the state saw a rise in crime between 2020 and 2022, metrics show Ventura County’s crime rates decreased. The 2023 State of the Region Report also shows Ventura County’s crime rate in 2022 ranked Property crimes include theft, motor vehicle theft, burglary, and arson. Violent crimes include criminal homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. The data is measured by the number of crimes reported per 1,000 residents. Ventura County often leads the way in public safety, but the 2022 numbers show an even larger gap between Ventura County and the other large counties. In 2022, the Ventura County violent crime rate was just under 2 reported crimes per 1,000 residents, 30 percent below the county with the second lowest violent crime rate. Ventura County’s 2022 property crime rate was 13.51 reported crimes per 1,000 residents, 17 percent below the county with the second lowest property crime rate. The cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks reported the lowest crime rates in Ventura County. Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said, “These statistics don’t just showcase the incredible work the women and men of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office do day in and day out, rather it also demonstrates the strong relationship we have with our community members.” Sheriff Fryhoff continued, “Our approach to reducing crime and ensuring the safety of residents and visitors, is based on the collaboration between law enforcement and the community coming together to identify and solve public safety issues.” Crime has been consistently trending downward in Oxnard for the past three decades, and last year Ventura County’s largest city witnessed its third lowest year in reported crime during this time span. Oxnard Police Department’s Neighborhood Policing Team, Homeless Liaison Officers, and officers and staff across the department continue to prioritize community safety and community engagement. Chief Jason Benites stated, “We will continue to put forth a determined and ongoing effort on public safety across the board, focusing on matters such as traffic safety, the devastating community impacts of fentanyl, and providing support and resources for the unhoused.” Simi Valley continues to be one of the safest cities in the state. In fact, crime in 2022 was lower In 2022, the City of Ventura, saw its lowest overall crime rate in over three decades. Chief Darin "We've made incredible progress; however, challenges like increased visible signs of vagrancy and The city of Port Hueneme saw an 8 percent decrease in violent crime and a slight increase in |