Thousand Oaks City Watch - October 23rd

Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Deputy Jim DeSoto of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you are interested in receiving these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

Crime Fighters,

Respect or consideration for an opposite’s viewpoint does not seem to be a theme this year. Throughout the county, and in our city, election, office, and ballot measure signs continue to be stolen or vandalized. As the November 4 national, state, and local elections draw near, we expect to see a continuation of these crimes targeted at influencing one’s vote. Please report any suspicious activity (805-654-9511) as we need to stop these crimes that target how we may vote during the elections.

If you know anyone that has a Valero Gas Credit Card, have that person check his monthly statements for unauthorized transactions. Local residents have been reporting that their Valero Credit Card numbers were compromised and used at different locations in the southland. As always, completely review any of your monthly statements from banks, credit card companies, and any other lending institutions to ensure unauthorized charges were not incurred on your accounts. A cardholder, as well as the business that offers the customer the service(s), has the responsibility to review the transactions on the statements. Sometimes, if the fraudulent transaction is not noticed until months later and the cardholder should have been aware of the fraudulent transaction via the monthly statements, some banks and businesses will not fully reimburse or give only partial credit toward that illegal transaction(s). Succinctly, review those statements.

Lastly, the open house held two weeks ago at the police station was a successful and informative night. Many were unable to attend because of previous commitments and obligations, so, as a reminder, the second open house will be held next Thursday, October 30, at 6:30 pm (Note from Conejo Joe:  Contact Jim DeSoto at james.desoto@ventura.org or 805.371.8362 to RSVP for this open house). The format will be the same as Police Chief Carpenter will address the public and answers questions. Dispatch Supervisor Erin Brockus will talk about ‘911,' cellular phones, and other topics related from receiving calls to dispatching officers. Dennis and I will present information on identity theft, Internet concerns, elder abuse, frauds and scams, and any other crime concerns you have. A tour of the facility will be given at the end of the evening.

Encourage your friends and neighbors to attend the open house as this is a great way to build our partnerships in combating crime and making our city a wonderful place to live and raise our families.

Continue your important involvement,

Jim DeSoto