June 14, 2012 Thousand Oaks Police Department "City Watch" Alert

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Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Senior Deputy Tim Lohman of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you would like these updates directly from via email, click here for more information.

This latest update is from Senior Deputy, Tim Lohman, who has taken over from Senior Deputy Jim DeSoto, who has moved to another opportunity within the department. Tim has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 18 years and has worked on many assignments within the Sheriff’s Office, from custody to patrol, including working as a D.A.R.E instructor, School Resource Officer, Background Investigator and Public Information Officer, to name a few.  He is looking forward to this role as Crime Prevention Officer and to strengthen the relationship between the residents of Thousand Oaks and the Thousand Oaks Police Department.

Now that summer is in full swing it’s that time of year that people, especially children, look forward to the most. The time when families go on vacation, children are out of school, the weather is warm and inviting, and the beach is calling. It’s a much needed time for children and parents to relax from the demands of school and work. It can be a time when one may let his or her guard down and not be as attentive as he or she should be.

Unfortunately, criminals do not take a break. Many times, criminals may see this as an opportunity to take advantage of the relaxed vigilance. It is important to b

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Straight Up Ventura County 2012 "Make a Difference" Video Contest for Youths

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2012 Video Contest for Young People: "Make a Difference"
Ages 12-25 invited to submit videos about making a difference and creating positive community change

Youth advocacy group Straight Up Ventura County has announced its 2012 video contest, open to young people 12-25, around the topics of making a difference among peers, educators and parents.

"We're looking for young people to explore topics such as how to create 'positive' peer pressure. what activities can bring awareness to destructive decisions, or people that have been an inspiration for making positive decisions around alcohol or drugs," says Katherine Kasmir, Program Director of Straight Up. "We look to the youth in our community to help make social change."

Straight Up focuses on prevention surrounding underage and binge drinking, over-the-counter/prescription drug abuse, marijuana use, and impaired driving.   

Last year's contest, "The Power of Speaking Up," garnered submissions from all over Ventura County. They can be seen at straightupvc.org/contest_2011 and below!

Short videos (30-90 seconds) are preferred, but longer videos are welcome as well. The subject matter and tone can be serious or humorous, as longs as the video deals with the powering of speaking up.

A grand prize of $500 will be awarded. The deadline is March 9, 2012 and winners notified by April 20.

Downloadable rules and guidelines can be found at www.straightupvc.org/contest. Resources are available to youth and to educators in the form of educational workshops and equipment lending.

Interested parties can find out more information by contacting contest@straightupvc.org or (805) 647-4622.

Winning Entries from 2011 "Speak Up" Video Contest

WINNING VIDEO: "Out of the Mouths of Children" by Joe Lanthier's Fillmore High School Production Class (ages 16) Description: A young boy refuses to get into his brother's car after the brother has been drinking.

RUNNER-UP VIDEO: "Bobby V" by Camilo Alvea, 23, and Sergio Arias, 23 Description: A young female recounts an accident in which she was involved, in which "Bobby V" was killed.

RUNNER-UP VIDEO: "Choice" by Sophie Glander, 16, of Agoura Description: A young boy refuses to get into his brother's car after the brother has been drinking.

2010 Ventura County Crime Data and Trends From FBI Crime Reporting Program

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The FBI collects nationwide crime statistics voluntarily reported by over 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country in its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. This data can be useful, but the FBI strongly advises against using the data to "rank" cities and counties solely based on this information. Rankinig can be misleading as the data does not factor in things like population density, socioeconomic factors, demographics and other information.

Now that we have that out of the way, we have compiled local crime data in and around Ventura County from these reports from 2006 through 2010.

So that we're all on the same page, Violent Crime includes things like murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property Crime includes burglary, larceny and vehicle thefts.

In 2010, the FBI reported a Violent Crime rate of 4.0 incidents per 1,

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Ventura County Sheriff Warns Local Residents About a New Scam

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From the Ventura County Sheriff's Department as a warning for citizens to avoid being victimized by scams

Criminals are constantly looking for new methods to steal goods and money from citizens of Ventura County, and scams are part of this evolving criminal activity.

In some scams, criminals will prey upon elderly or susceptible victims by calling and telling them that a family member is in jail in another country. The criminals focus on the need for the victim to act quickly or the family member’s safety may be in jeopardy. Money is frequently sent (wired) to locations outside of the United States by the victims and is virtually untraceable once transferred.

Other scams include victims being contacted by a subject claiming the victim has won an international lottery and the victim needs to send money, again to a location outside of the United States, to cover taxes and tariffs. Victims will frequently wire the requested money, which is untraceable once transferred.

Recently, a new scam has surfaced locally where suspects are calling victims and claiming to be members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. One suspect even claimed to be the Sheriff himself. In these cases the callers are telling the victims they need to provide money for a family member who is in jail, or that the FBI is conducting an operation and the victim needs to provide money. The criminals in this most recent scam are attempting to make their requests sound legitimate by using genuine identities. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure the citizens of Ventura County, that members of this Department will not call citizens requesting money on behalf of someone in custody nor do we favor or recommend one bail bond company over another.

If anyone is contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the Sheriff’s Office requesting money for someone in custody, you may call Sheriff’s Public Reception at 805-654-3335, or visit our website www.vcsd.org to help determine if the person is in custody.

Additionally, if someone is contacted and requested to donate or provide money to the Sheriff’s Office, we urge them to contact their local police agency before parting with any money or information.

East Ventura County Sheriff Watch Update - August 15, 2011

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Here is the latest "East County Sheriff Watch" alert from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. This program is designed to target unincorporated neighborhoods in the area, such as Oak Park, Bell Canyon, Lynn Ranch, Casa Conejo and Lake Sherwood. If you would like these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

The following is a summary of recent crimes in the unincorporated areas surrounding Thousand Oaks.

Oak Park

China Flat Trail Head – Vehicle Burglary

07-19-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered victim’s locked vehicle when it was parked across the street from the entrance to China Flat Trail Head.  Property was removed from the floorboard of the vehicle. 

Conifer Street – Grand Theft from Residence

07-22-11 – Known suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked bedroom and removed jewelry.  The suspect was arrested and charged by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. The jewelry was not secured in a safe.

Covewood Street – Vehicle Burglary

07-20-11 – Unknown suspects entered the victim’s vehicle through a partially rolled down window when it was parked overnight in the driveway of the residence.  Suspect(s) reached in and removed victim’s property from the floorboard.

Parkside Court – Theft from Vehicle

07-23-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered

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East Ventura County Sheriff Watch Update - June 23, 2011

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Here is the latest "East County Sheriff Watch" alert from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. This program is designed to target unincorporated neighborhoods in the area, such as Oak Park, Bell Canyon, Lynn Ranch, Casa Conejo and Lake Sherwood. If you would like these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

The following is a summary of recent crimes in the unincorporated areas surrounding Thousand Oaks.

Oak Park

Forest Knoll Drive – Theft from Vehicle 5-31-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered victim’s unlocked vehicle when it was parked overnight in the street in front of residence and removed property from the center console. 

Dubonnet – Grand Theft from Vehicle 6-02-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle when it was parked overnight in the driveway of the residence and removed property from the rear seat and trunk.

Locust Ave – Vehicle Burglary 6-09-11 – Unknown suspects smashed the front passenger side window of the victim’s locked vehicle when it was parked overnight in the driveway of the residence.  Suspect(s) reached in and removed victim’s property.

Aspen Oak Court – Grand Theft from Vehicle 6-14-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle when it was parked overnight and removed property.

Casa Conejo

Alice Drive – Theft from Vehicle 6-12-11 – Unknown suspect(s

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