Sheriff Bill Ayub has released the 2020 crime statistics for all areas served by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The report shows a 3% overall increase in Part I crimes, as defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting statistics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
While violent crimes were down significantly in most areas served by the sheriff’s office, the overall crime increase was due primarily to an uptick in thefts. Changes in crime trends became evident throughout the year, and some could be attributed to the pandemic. For example, residential burglaries were down, likely as a result of people staying home due to the public health orders. In contrast, commercial and vehicle burglaries were up, as many businesses closed or scaled back their hours because of the public health restrictions.
“We’re constantly adjusting our resources, based on emerging crime trends throughout the county,” said Sheriff Bill Ayub. “Last year, there was a dramatic change in people’s behavior, due to the pandemic. That resulted in criminals shifting their tactics and targeting more commercial areas and vehicles. The absence of major public events and nighttime entertainment venues likely contributed to the drop in violent crime.”
The UCR report can be found here: https://www.venturasheriff.org/public-resources/crime-stats-public-info/ Each geographical area in Ventura County is unique, and crime trends vary from city to city. For questions regarding each city’s reported crimes, the following people can be reached directly:
Commander Eric Tennessen – Camarillo (805) 797-7102
Commander James Fryhoff – Thousand Oaks (805) 797-6378
Captain Victor Fazio – Moorpark (805) 856-8793
Captain Garo Kuredjian – Fillmore (805) 797-6322
Captain Jose Rivera – Ojai (805) 797-6341
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