A safer community
Unfortunately, crime rates are on the rise in Ventura.
It is not an alarming increase. Ventura remains a relatively safe community and even a small rise in crimes can mean a big percentage increase. We had 33 more violent crimes in 2007 than the year before, an increase of just under 10%. A spate of robberies was the principal cause.
Property crimes also increased by 155 from 3,699 to 3,854 for an increase of 4.2%.
What's most disturbing is the trend. Despite our best efforts at prevention and intervention, crime continues to increase. Chances are, you won't be a victim. But that's little comfort if you are.
That's why, of course, we've worked hard to add additional officers to focus on reducing crime. We added one officer (funded from bars and stores and restaurants that sell or serve alcohol) just to work on a "Responsible Retailer" effort. The goal is to reduce public drunkenness and sales to minors. We added six more to work to beef up our gang unit and increase patrols. If we receive sufficient funding from the 911 Emergency Communications Fee, we will add up to six more officers, three to work on "hot spots" and three more to put School Resource Officers back in our schools (along with three more firefighters to help with emergency response to fires and medical emergencies.) The School Resource Officers have been a real loss in dealing with the handful of kids who start a life of crime in their teen years.
Public safety is the City Council's number one priority -- which is why Ventura spends more than 53% of our budget on fire and police (not counting the cost of eradicating grafitti and crime prevention programs for youth.) With a worsening economy, crime usually rises, even as it gets harder to increase funding to combat it.
Keeping Ventura safe is not easy -- nor is finding the funding to do it. But it's not a job we can ignore in the face of rising crime. We are going to have to work together to make a difference.
It is not an alarming increase. Ventura remains a relatively safe community and even a small rise in crimes can mean a big percentage increase. We had 33 more violent crimes in 2007 than the year before, an increase of just under 10%. A spate of robberies was the principal cause.
Property crimes also increased by 155 from 3,699 to 3,854 for an increase of 4.2%.
What's most disturbing is the trend. Despite our best efforts at prevention and intervention, crime continues to increase. Chances are, you won't be a victim. But that's little comfort if you are.
That's why, of course, we've worked hard to add additional officers to focus on reducing crime. We added one officer (funded from bars and stores and restaurants that sell or serve alcohol) just to work on a "Responsible Retailer" effort. The goal is to reduce public drunkenness and sales to minors. We added six more to work to beef up our gang unit and increase patrols. If we receive sufficient funding from the 911 Emergency Communications Fee, we will add up to six more officers, three to work on "hot spots" and three more to put School Resource Officers back in our schools (along with three more firefighters to help with emergency response to fires and medical emergencies.) The School Resource Officers have been a real loss in dealing with the handful of kids who start a life of crime in their teen years.
Public safety is the City Council's number one priority -- which is why Ventura spends more than 53% of our budget on fire and police (not counting the cost of eradicating grafitti and crime prevention programs for youth.) With a worsening economy, crime usually rises, even as it gets harder to increase funding to combat it.
Keeping Ventura safe is not easy -- nor is finding the funding to do it. But it's not a job we can ignore in the face of rising crime. We are going to have to work together to make a difference.
posted by Rick Cole at
6:46 PM
1 Comments:
Could it be that the Ventura Police notice of "No Response" to home alarms may be one of the reasons for the rise in property crimes????
You say you added the 911 fee to be able to respond to crimes in a shorter period of time, then on the other hand you stop responding to alarms. It would be wiser to simply notify people with alarms that one false alarm is free, and subsequent false alarms will be charged for.
Rellis Smith
rellis39@sbcglobal.net
www.venturastuff.com
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