Chief Crombach

Chief John Crombach began his law enforcement career in March 1978 as a deputy with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. Later that year he transferred to the Port Hueneme Police Department, where he worked in Patrol and Investigations until 1985. Chief Crombach began his career with the Oxnard Police Department in July 1985 as a patrol officer, and earned his way through the ranks to the position of Chief of Police in March 2005.

The Oxnard Police Department has nearly 400 employees and an annual operating budget of over $60 million. The department serves a diverse community of nearly 200,000 people and covers over 26 square miles. Oxnard is the largest California coastal city between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Chief Crombach has an impressive list of credentials including supervisory and management experience as well as progressive leadership in all major areas of law enforcement such as uniformed patrol, SWAT, investigations, traffic enforcement, training, community relations, administration, and labor relations.

Chief Crombach has an excellent record of community policing and problem solving in Oxnard, which was a critical factor in his selection as Oxnard's 19th Chief of Police. Under his leadership the Oxnard Police Department was awarded the prestigious James Q. Wilson award in 2008 for excellence in Community Policing. Oxnard has enjoyed a sharply declining crime rate in recent years with the per capita rate dropping by nearly 65% since 1992. Chief Crombach credits the department's community policing and crime prevention efforts for this dramatic decline. Currently, Oxnard is one of the five safest cities in the nation - among those cities with populations between 150,000 and 200,000.

Since becoming the chief in Oxnard Chief Crombach has developed a neighborhood policing model for all four districts in the City, which is being employed as a method of providing tailored services to meet the community's expectations and priorities.

His outreach efforts into the community have been extensive and Chief Crombach currently serves on the Board of Directors of many community based organizations including the Oxnard/Port Hueneme Boys and Girls Club and the Oxnard Rotary Club. He has previously served with the Oxnard College Foundation and the South Oxnard/Port Hueneme Neighborhoods for Learning.

Chief Crombach has also assumed leadership roles in law enforcement organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for the California Police Chief's Association as well as The National Council on Crime and Delinquency. He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is a member of the selection committee for The Anti-Defamation League’s Helene & Joseph Sherwood Prize, awarded for combating hate.

In 2007 the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce named Chief Crombach as Oxnard's Man of the Year.

Chief Crombach earned his master's degree from California State University, Northridge in Public Administration and his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of La Verne.

The Chief is 56 years old and is married to Danita. They have two sons and a daughter, along with 6 grandchildren.

MISSION STATEMENT
To provide all those who live, work and visit Oxnard with prompt, courteous, and professional service. To reduce crime, disorder, and the fear of crime, providing for an enhanced quality of life. To be a partner with the community in addressing neighborhood problems by utilizing a community oriented policing and problem-solving philosophy that emphasizes community partnerships and diversity with reverence for the law and protecting the rights of all those we encounter.