Silver and Black Return for the Summer : Oxnard: For the seventh consecutive year, the Los Angeles Raiders open training camp in the city. To local officials, the team is the toast of the town.

Oakland, Irwindale and Sacramento tried to woo them in recent years, but came up empty-handed. Los Angeles still claims them as their own, but only during the fall.

For the next 10 weeks, the Raiders belong to Oxnard.

Yes, the Raiders are back. On Monday, those behemoths in silver-and-black uniforms returned to their summer home for the seventh consecutive year, as training camp opened for rookies and free agents. The veterans will report to the practice field on July 12.

In the world of professional football, the Raiders have been known as a cast of outlaws, rejects from other teams and as scrappy college dropouts who will do anything to crush their opponents. But in blue-collar Oxnard, they are the toast of the town.

“We’ve been the downtrodden city in the county over the years, that’s been our problem,” Councilman Michael Plisky said. “Having the Raiders here, that’s something to be proud of. It helps our self-image tremendously.”

For the next 10 weeks, all newspaper, television and radio stories concerning the franchise with the best winning percentage in professional sports will bear an Oxnard dateline.

“The Raiders give Oxnard some exposure in terms of press coverage, and that’s always a positive element,” said Dick Fausset, president of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce. “They put Oxnard on the map.”

The team’s River Ridge training grounds, complete with two football fields, training equipment, locker rooms and shower stalls, are on city-owned property.

The Raiders get to use the facility rent-free, but nobody is complaining.

Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi said that allowing the Raiders to use the field without paying rent is good business. “Oh boy, they are one of the greatest public relations instruments this city has ever had,” said Takasugi, a longtime season ticket-holder.

“I don’t think the Raiders are worth that much economically, but when you talk about name recognition, of having a prestigious professional team pick you as their summer home, well, it’s more than worth the trade-off of allowing them to stay rent-free.”

Takasugi and Plisky helped broker the deal that brought the Raiders to Oxnard in 1985.

Beyond the team’s symbolic value, the Raiders have a significant impact on the city’s economy, said Bob Burke, sales manager at the Radisson Suite Hotel, where the Raiders stay.

“What it means to us, is we get one-third of our suites booked throughout the summer. We serve 125 meals three times a day. We turn our meeting room into a training table. We put in machines for ice cream, juices and they just come in and pick up their snacks.”

By the time summer ends, the Raiders will have spent about $300,000 at the hotel, Burke said.

As far as the Raider’s reputation as wild partiers, Burke said it’s an undeserved bad rap that they picked up years ago.

“That’s just the Raider mystique, and much of it goes back more than 10 years ago,” Burke said. “Out here, they’ve been perfect gentlemen. You have to realize that almost all of them are fighting for jobs.

“From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. their life is highly regimented. They don’t have time to get in trouble. In four years that I’ve coordinated their camp, I haven’t heard of a single incident involving the Raiders.”

Assistant Police Chief Bill Cady agreed. “The Raiders are very cooperative and we’ve never had any problems with them,” he said. “They’re not looking for problems, they’re just getting ready to play football.”

For its part, the Raiders have nothing but praise on how the city has treated the team over the years. The club says it feels right at home in this rugged, working-class city.

“We definitely feel part of this community,” Raiders’ spokesman John Herrera said. “Our interaction is extremely positive, from the city officials to the business community to the guy on the street.”

If there is one complaint about the Raiders, it is that Oxnard residents don’t get enough of them. Practices are closed to the public and autograph seekers are routinely chased away.

“I wish they were more visible in the community,” Councilman Manuel Lopez said. “A few years back, when Tom Flores was coach, he was very active and so were many of his players. I don’t see that happening very much anymore.”

Gil Lafferty-Hernandez, the Raiders’ community relations director, said the Raiders make public appearences throughout Southern California to speak out against drugs, gangs, vandalism and other social ills.

“Our appearences are more centered in programs for all of Southern California than for the city,” he said.

That is not to say the Raiders have forgotten Oxnard. On July 20, the Raiders will host Family Day at Oxnard High School, and the public will be allowed to watch team members work out and collect autographs.

Other public appearances in Oxnard have been scheduled in the past, and more will be forthcoming, Lafferty-Hernandez said. “Oh, they love us in Oxnard, it’s been a very endearing relationship,” he said.

How could Oxnard not love the Raiders? Plisky asks. “It’s like, you’re a poor little boy and you don’t have much to hang on to, but your uncle is a great football player. Then you have something you can brag about.”