Law Enforcement

As I look back on 1998, from a law enforcement perspective, I’m reminded that some things never change. First, the central mission of law enforcement will always be to protect life and property. Second, the frailties of human nature will always make that job difficult and dangerous.

Changes in society, technology, politics and economics do, however, force us to find new strategies for responding to future challenges.

To prepare for the future, we are in the process of developing a strategic plan. Simply put, this is a blueprint that will translate our mission and values into tangible plans to guide our operations over the next 10 years.

Core aspects of the plan mandate that we regularly evaluate citizen satisfaction and identify internal quality standards, with a strong emphasis on accountability. This plan is based upon extensive input from representatives of other public agencies, the men and women of our department and, more importantly, from members of each of the communities we serve.

In 1998, police agencies throughout the county continued to focus their services to meet community expectations while undergoing change.

As examples, the demand for local access led to the opening of a downtown Moorpark police station. In Fillmore, plans to expand our partnership with the community met with incredible success during the recent Citizens Academy, conducted entirely in Spanish. Because of this and other innovations, Fillmore has been recognized by the prestigious Tomas Rivera Policy Institute as one of only nine California law enforcement agencies with highly successful community policing practices.

Thousand Oaks, with its Volunteers in Policing program, was again recognized along with Simi Valley as one of the safest cities in the country.

The Simi Valley Police Department opened its new facility, and Art Lopez was selected as Oxnard’s new chief of police, while Ventura is searching for a replacement for retiring Chief Richard Thomas.

This year also brought a series of violent confrontations between police and individuals with mental illness. Although officers must be able to protect the innocent and themselves when encountering those who are armed and threatening violence, we have used these incidents as a springboard into dialogue with those who serve the mentally ill. We are considering a countywide protocol that would guide us, both in training and in interacting with the severely mentally ill. We also plan to pursue a grant to transition jail inmates with mental illness into treatment after incarceration.

In the coming year, the Sheriff’s Department will restructure its various patrol operations under the direction of a chief deputy. This will ensure that quality remains consistent throughout our jurisdiction, especially when it concerns policies, training and community-oriented policing programs. We plan to convert our Honor Farm to accommodate the burgeoning female inmate population. We are also in the midst of developing the county’s first truly integrated criminal justice information system. Bringing together all local law enforcement agencies, the courts and our jails with the probation, district attorney and public defender offices, we will see the exchange of information improve, allowing officers to spend less time on paperwork and more time serving the public.

With the evolution in forensics, especially in the realm of DNA testing, we are committed to modernizing our crime lab and making new procedures available for solving crimes. We are also in partnership with other law enforcement organizations to develop plans for confronting the growing threat of terrorism. With the possibility of the year 2000 computer problem disrupting key services and supplies, we are working to identify potential problems and provide accurate information to help the public prepare for Y2K.

In 1998, Ventura County was again the safest region in the western United States. However, we cannot afford any degree of apathy because demographics indicate that crime throughout the country should increase in the coming years. No matter how much our world changes, Ventura County will remain a safe place to raise families and conduct business only as long as law enforcement professionals and the community continue to work as partners in the fight against crime.