Thousand Oaks Violent Crime Rate Ranks in Top 12 Lowest Among Large Cities in 2015

In a separate post, we noted that the cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley ranked 4th and 5th in terms of lowest overall crime rates in the United States and 1st and 2nd in California based on 2015 FBI data. Kudos!

Here, based on the same Uniform Crime Reporting data for 2015 released by the FBI in September, we will take a closer look at large cities (defined as 100,000+ residents) with the lowest and highest violent crime rates in he country.

Violent crimes consist of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault whereas property crimes are categorized as non-violent reported instances of burglaries, thefts (including cars) and arson.

Top 25 lowest overall violent crime rates per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015; cities with population of 100,000 or more (Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data)

As you can see above, while the City of Thousand Oaks has the 12th lowest violent crime rate among large cities of 1.05 incidents per 1,000 residents, the City's property crime rate is lower than most on this list. Simi Valley's rate of 1.36 incidents per 1,000 ranks it 26th out of close to 300 large cities.

The city of Cary, North Carolina, ranked as lowest on this list with .5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2015, followed closely by another local perennially safe city, Irvine. Glendale ranks a very respectable 7th on this list.

Top 25 highest overall violent crime rates per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015; cities with population of 100,000 or more (Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data)

No Ventura County area cities came anywhere close to the top 25 highest violent crime rate large cities in the U.S. This list was topped by the cities of St. Louis, Detroit, Birmingham, Memphis and Milwaukee, with violent crime rates ranging from 16 to 18 incidents per 1,000 residents in 2015.

Our neighbor, the City of Los Angeles, with its population of nearly 4 million, ranked 92nd on the list with 6.35 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

Was a crime committed in your neighborhood? Check the Ventura County Sheriff's Department online crime maps.

Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley Had the 4th and 5th Lowest Crime Rates Among Large Cities in 2015

In late September, the FBI released its annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data for 2015. "Crime in the United States, 2015" compiles crime data from law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. The data includes violent crimes, consisting of murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and property crimes such as burglaries and thefts.

The overall U.S. violent crime rate grew 3.1% in 2015 as compared to 2014, with 3.73 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants. Overall property crimes declined 3.4%, at 24.87 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015.

Three years ago, the crime rates were 3.87 (violent crimes) and 28.59 (property crimes), indicating the rates have declined overall over the last three years.

We took a look at the data for approximately 300 cities in the U.S. with populations of 100,000 or more. The cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley ranked 4th and 5th in the U.S. and 1st and 2nd in California for the lowest overall crime rates among large cities in 2015. Congratulations! The top 10 are shown in the table below:

Top 10 lowest overall crime rates per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015; cities with population of 100,000 or more (Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data)

The cities of Oxnard and Ventura landed at 143 and 153 when ranked by lowest total crime rates.

Taking a look at solely violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, assault), the list looks a bit different. Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley drop to 12th and 26th, respectively and other California cities - Irvine, Murrieta, Glendale and Temecula moved into the top 10.

Top 10 lowest violent crime rates per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015; cities with population of 100,000 or more (Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data)

Let's take a look at other Ventura County cities of all sizes to see where they stand. Keep in mind that this does not include unincorporated communities of Ventura County like Oak Park, Casa Conejo, Lake Sherwood and others.

Overall crime rates per 1,000 inhabitants in Ventura County cities in 2015 (Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data) (excludes unincorporated communities)

The cities of Ojai and Moorpark held the lowest overall crime rates among Ventura County cities in 2015.

Overall, in 2015 Ventura County residents had an average of 22.84 total crimes for every 1,000 residents, including 2.56 violent crimes (31% below the national average) and 20.28 property crimes (18% below the national average).

As a comparison, the City of Los Angeles, with nearly 4 million residents, had an overall crime rate of 29.94 total crimes per 1,000 residents, including 6.3 violent crimes. The highest overall crime rates among large cities in 2015 were: Salt Lake City, UT (101.86 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants), Springfield, MO (91.51), St. Louis, MO (81.33), Birmingham, AL (81.05) and Spokane, WA (80.31).

Other nearby cities' 2015 crime rates in the UCR data includes Calabasas (11.71 crimes per 1,000 residents), Agoura Hills (15.5) and Westlake Village (the L.A. County side, with 8,522 residents) with 23.59.

Overall, there are nearly 9,400 cities measured in the UCR. Of these, 214 cities had a total of zero reported crimes in 2015. The average population of these 214 cities was 870.

* The FBI cautions comparative use of this data for drawing conclusions by making direct comparisons between cities. Comparisons lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents. Keep this in mind when reviewing this data, which is summed up here for informational purposes only.

Complying with Voting Laws in California

With the Presidential General Election coming up in less than two weeks, how about a quick summary of selected voting laws in the State of California for voters here in the Ventura County area. The following is a summary from the California Secretary of State's "Voting Law Compliance Handbook: A Voter's Guide to Safeguard California's Election Process" updated April 2016.

Voting at the Polls

Making the time to vote: The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you work a long shift and are unable to get to the polls to vote in a statewide election, California state law provides up to two hours of paid time off to vote. These hours must be at the beginning or end of your normal shift and you must give your employer two working days notice. 

Rewards for voting: Can the local donut shop offer a free donut if you show them that you've voted in the Presidential Election? NO! Say what!? No free donut?? Nope. Federal law prohibits anything of value given in exchange for proof of voting if there is a federal office (e.g. President, U.S. House, U.S. Senate) on the ballot. In a state or local only election, the donut offering would be o.k., just as long as it wasn't given to bribe you to vote (or not vote) for a particular candidate or measure. Speaking of donuts, or doughnuts, as it were, the new Krispy Kreme in Oxnard opened last month.

Electioneering: It is illegal to promote a candidate or measure within 100 feet of a polling place. So if you see signs or other promotional materials in the parking lot at a polling place, that is illegal. And on a side note, California law makes it illegal to "photograph, video record, or otherwise record a voter entering or exiting a polling place." So you best not be selfie-ing at a crowded polling place. 

Voting by Mail

Death and Voting:  Hypothetically, let's just say my spouse passed away two weeks ago but I received her absentee ballot in the mail. I knew who she planned to vote for, so I turned in her ballot along with mine. This is o.k., right? WRONG! You cannot vote for your deceased spouse, nor anyone else that is deceased for that matter. That said, if your spouse had completed the ballot and signed the envelope before passing, that would a legitimate ballot, as the vote-by-mail voting period opens 29 days before the election.

Returning Vote by Mail Ballots (from the Ventura County Clerk/Recorder): If you mail your absentee ballot in, allow for seven days' delivery if you can; that said, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than November 14, 2016. Otherwise, you can return your ballot to any of the 10 City Clerk offices in Ventura County, to the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura or at the Thousand Oaks Library. Or, you can bring them to any polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Counting the Ballots

Can I Watch? Yes, you can watch the entire process, from opening of the vote-by-mail ballot envelopes to the counting of ballots on election night, by law.  But perhaps contact the Ventura County Clerk/Recorder first.

Campaign Do's and Don'ts

Use of State Seal: It is considered election fraud to use an official government seal in campaign literature. This should be reported to the Election Fraud Investigation Unit at 916.657.2166 or call the Ventura County Clerk/Recorder.

Paycheck Inserts: It is illegal in California to attempt to influence employees to vote for or against something by inserting something in your paycheck envelope.

These are just some of the elections laws in the State of California. For more complete information, visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections.

November 8, 2016 Presidential General Election Registration and Key Voting Dates

The State of California makes it extremely simple to register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov for this coming November 8, 2016 Presidential General Election.

The system will search the DMV database for your California driver license or ID card, date of birth and last four digits of your SSN. The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder Elections Division will contact you when the registration is approved or if additional information is needed. See how easy it is at THIS LINK.

You can also register to vote the old fashioned way by picking up a paper voter registration application at the Ventura County elections office, library, DMV or post office. More information at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm.

In California, the deadline to register to vote is 15 days before Election Date. Thus, to vote in the November 8th election your registration must be electronically submitted or postmarked by October 24th. 

As of August 22, 2016*, there were 419,869 registered voters in Ventura County, up from 412,924 on June 9th. You can register as Democrat (175,256; up from 169,759), Republican (139,129; up from 138,663), Non Partisan (85,638; up from 84,615) and Other (Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, American Independent) (19,846; down from 19,887).

* Update as of 10/8/16: 428,296 registered; 178,028 Democrat, 140,343 Republican, 89,190 Non Partisan and 20,735 Other.

Turnout for the 2012 General Election was 77.39%, with 426,948 registered voters and 330,419 votes cast. Turnout for the 2016 Presidential Primary Election was 51.79%, with 413,045 registered voters and 213,914 votes cast.

Visit recorder.countyofventura.org/elections to learn more information about Ventura County elections.

Transfer of Assessed Value to Taxpayers 55 and Older for New Residence Purchases in Ventura County

There are two California propositions that allow exclusions from reappraisal when selling your property in Ventura County if you are age 55 or older at the time of sale.

Proposition 60 allows transfers of base year values within the same county. Proposition 90 allows transfers from one county to another county in California (inter-county). Not all counties in California have inter-county policies; Ventura County does.

Prop 60 allows taxpayers ages 55 and older to sell their personal residence and buy a new one of equal or lesser value to transfer the "assessed" value of the former home to the new home. This can save you significantly in property taxes if the assessed value of your former home is significantly less than the current market value (as a result of Prop 13 limitations).

If you qualify, you must complete the Claim of Person(s) at Least 55 Years of Age for Transfer of Base Year Value to Replacement Dwelling (Prop 60/90) form available on the Ventura County Assessor website at assessor.countyofventura.org/taxsavings/seniors.asp.

Here is a variety of additional details and limitations:

• Either you, or your spouse (if married) has to be 55 or older at the time of sale. It does not have to be both of you.
• Both properties must be your personal residence (e.g. not a rental property).
• This is a one time tax benefit, even if you divorce or a spouse dies. (Except if one of you subsequently becomes severely or permanently disabled, in which case if you move again you can file for relief again under Prop 110.)
• The new home or property must be purchased within 2 years of selling the old home.

More details at www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/propositions60_90.htm.

SCORE Ventura County Helps Over 1,000 Local Entrepreneurs Each Year

The Ventura County Chapter of SCORE is a 501(c)3 non-profitorganization that was founded in 1971. SCORE was founded as an organization in 1964. The organization’s 11,000 volunteers operate out of over 320 chapters through the country.

The acronym SCORE stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives. SCORE Ventura County counselors are an active group of over 60 volunteers who are retired successful business owners and managers who enjoy helping established and potential business owners achieve success.

SCORE Ventura County provides FREE individualized counseling in partnership with Chamber of Commerce offices in Camarillo, Malibu, Moorpark, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Greater Ventura County and Oxnard. Appointments can be made online at ventura.score.org/mentors.

SCORE Ventura County also provides workshops, some free and most for a small charge, for local entrepreneurs. Visit this link for upcoming events ventura.score.org/localworkshops.

In addition, the chapter is active in many other community projects such as Hispanic Programs Group, Boots2Business training for our military, collaboration with technical assistance partners at the SBA as well as working with local educational institutions.

There are many other useful resources on the SCORE Ventura County website at ventura.score.org. Call SCORE Ventura County at 805.204.6022 or visit their website for more information.

California Child Passenger Buckle-Up Laws and Seat Belt Safety Information

Booster seats save lives! Car crashes are a leading preventable cause of death and permanent injuries in children. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is a non-profit organization dedicated to child passenger safety. Its mission is to help reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic injuries suffered by children by promoting the correct, consistent use of safety seats and safety belts. The following information is provided courtesy of this organization. Visit www.carseat.org for more information.

California Buckle-Up Laws for Parents

Children under age 8 must be properly buckled into a safety seat or booster in the back seat (V.C. 27360). Exceptions:

• A child who weighs over 40 pounds and is riding in a car without lap and shoulder belts in the back seat may wear just a lap belt.
• A child under age 8 who is at least 4' 9" may wear a safety belt if it fits properly.
• Children under age 8 may ride in front if there is no forward-facing rear seat in vehicle, the child restraint cannot be properly installed in rear seat, all rear seats are occupied by other children age 7 or under, or for medical reasons.
• A child in a rear-facing safety seat may not ride in front if there is an active passenger air bag.

NEW LAW EFFECTIVE 1/1/17: Children under 2 years old must be rear-facing unless they are 40 lbs or greater or are 40 inches in height.

Having problems with your child safety seat? Don't worry, you're not alone! Visit www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/CPSFitting/Index.cfm for a list of local safety seat inspection stations. Or try Safe Kids Ventura County, where you can schedule a car seat inspection in collaboration with the Ventura County Fire Department in Camarillo (Wednesdays 805.389.9748), Moorpark (Mondays 805.552.1917) and Thousand Oaks (Mondays 805.496.9035) by appointment.

Children age 8 or older may use the vehicle safety belt if it fits properly, with the lap belt low on the hips, touching the upper thighs and the shoulder belt crossing the center of the chest. If children are not tall enough for proper belt fit, they must ride in a booster or safety seat. (V.C. 27360.5)

Seat belt safety graphic courtesy of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

According to SafetyBeltSafe, most kids need to ride in a booster seat until age 10 to 12. Using a booster instead of just a belt prevents 45% of crash injuries. If your child isn't using a booster, try the following simple 5-step test:

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

Answering "no" to any of these questions indicates your child needs a booster seat.

Consequences for not properly buckling up children under age 16:

• Parent gets ticket if child under 16 is not properly buckled up.
• Driver gets ticket if parent is not in the car.
• Cost of ticket could be more than $500 per child (including penalties) and $1,000 per child for a second offense. And a point is added to your driving record.

Related information:

• Older babies and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing convertible seat until they are at least two years old.  Check seat instructions for maximum weight (30-45 lbs).
• Children should ride in a safety seat with a harness as long as possible (40-90 lbs).
• Children who have outgrown safety seats need a booster for proper belt fit (usually age 10-12)
• Auto insurers must replace safety seats that were in use or damaged during a crash.

Refresher on other vehicle and safety laws:

• Drivers and passengers 16 or older must be properly buckled up. Drivers can be ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt and for each unbuckled passenger. Passengers may also be ticketed if not properly buckled up. Fine is more than $100 per person, with penalties. (V.C. 27315)
• Pickup truck passengers must be properly buckled up. The driver may be ticketed for letting passengers ride in the back of the truck. No exemption for camper shells. Cost of ticket can exceed $250, including penalties. (V.C. 23116)
• Children up to 6 years old may not be left alone in vehicle if the health or safety of child is at risk, the engine is running, or the keys are in the ignition. The child must be supervised by someone at least age 12. Cost of ticket can exceed $500. (V.C. 15620)
• Smoking in vehicle is prohibited if child under age 18 is present. Ticket can exceed $500.
• Children under age 18 who are skating or riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet.
• All motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear a helmet that meets federal standards, fits correctly and has the proper label.