Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	DUI Saturation Enforecement, this Halloween Thursday
DATE/TIME:	THursday, October 31, 2013
LOCATION:	CIty of Oxnard
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Senior Officer Maria Pena, (805) 385-7750, maria.pena@oxnardpd.org Sgt. Brian Woolley, (805) 385-7847, brian.woolley@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS: [Ventura County]— This Halloween,police, sheriff and CHP Officers will crack down on drunk and drugged drivers throughout the region with an aggressive Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort.  The Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Task Force has given a fair warning to all partygoers: keep the party off the road.

 
“The most frightening part of Halloween is not the costumes or the pranks, it’s the impaired drivers. All too often, partygoers don’t plan ahead and choose to drive impaired, but acostume can’t disguise drunk driving,” said Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams.
 
The Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Task Force will be deploying additional patrols this Thursday, October 31^st in addition to routine patrols already scheduled to stop and arrest alcohol or drug impaired drivers.
 
Halloween is one of the deadliest holidays of the year on our roadways.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2007-2011, 52 percent of all national fatalities occurring on Halloween night involved a drunk driver.  Males ages 21-34 comprised almost half of all drunk drivers who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide during the 2011 Halloween period. It is the deadliest night for child pedestrians of any night of the whole year.
 
“If you celebrate with alcohol, you don’t belong behind the wheel.”  Chief Williams said. “A sober and safe ride after the party is the best treat you can give yourself and everyone else on the road this Halloween.”
 
To keep safe this Halloween, the Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Task Forcerecommends these tips:
·         Beforethe Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
·         Always designate a sober driver.
·         If you are impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
·         Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
·         Use your community’s sober ride program.
·         If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
·         If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.  If you think you have to ask if they are okay to drive, you already know they’re not.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Oxnard Police offer a list of 25 tips for a safe Halloween
DATE/TIME:	October 31, 2013
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Miguel Lopez, Community Affairs Manager

DETAILS: The Oxnard Police offer a list of 25 tips for a safe Halloween.

1.     Children should watch out for cars and carry a glow stick or flashlight to ensure they are seen by motorists and others.
2.     Drivers should also be extra vigilant for children, who may dart out into the street from between parked cars or other places.
3.     Children should never be allowed to go out alone on Halloween.
4.     Children should never eat any treats until they have been examined.
5.     Advise children that they should never enter strangers’ homes.
6.     Never invite children into your home.
7.     Children should never accept rides from strangers.
8.     Children should never take shortcuts through backyards or alleys.
9.     Set a specific time limit for your children to be out on Halloween night.
10.  Instruct children not to stray from their group.
11.  A responsible adult should escort children while trick-or-treating.
12.  Adult escorts (and children if possible) should carry flashlights.
13.  Don’t leave your home unattended on Halloween night.
14.  Keep pets inside your home, or other safe place on Halloween night.
15.  Children should walk, not run, during their trick-or-treat activities.
16.  Parents should know what route their children will be taking.
17.  Children should wear proper fitting, comfortable costumes and shoes.
18.  Props such as toy guns or swords should be made of pliable material.
19.  Realistic replica firearms should never be used.
20.  Masks should not be worn if they impair vision.
21.  Wigs should be fireproof and should not restrict vision.
22.  Children should always use sidewalks, not the street, for walking.
23.  Children should look in all directions before crossing the street.
24.  Those who cannot accompany their children on Halloween night should make sure they are chaperoned or in a large group of friends and relatives.
25.  Leave early and return home early, and set a deadline to be home.

Let’s have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Fumigation Tent Burglary Arrest/Update
DATE/TIME:	10/25/13
LOCATION:	1700 block of South Ventura Road
PREPARED BY:	Detective Crystal Walker, (805) 385-7668 or crystal.walker@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Crystal Walker, (805) 385-7668 or crystal.walker@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS: On October 25, 2013 members of the Oxnard Police Department took Rigoverto Zamora, a 28-year-old Oxnard resident, into custody for a fumigation tent burglary that occurred in the 1700 block of South Ventura Road on 10/16/13.  According to detectives, Zamora is a suspect in several other fumigation tent burglaries in the City of Oxnard. 

 
Zamora was identified by video provided by the fumigation company.  Due to the use of surveillance as a deterrent, in this case, the company was directly responsible for Zamora’s arrest.  Fumigation companies have been partnering with Police and several are currently using surveillance methods as a deterrent.
 
While the arresting of Zamora closed this case for the Oxnard Police Department, residents are reminded to continue to be extra aware and vigilant.  To date this year, there have been a total of 27 such burglaries, with 22 between 04/28/13 and 10/28/13 —an average of one per week.  These burglaries have occurred throughout the city, with a higher concentration occurring in the Cal-Gisler, Kamala Durley Park, and Bartolo Square neighborhoods on the south end of Oxnard. 
 
Open and unlocked doors and windows have been the primary method and point of entry in almost half of the fumigation burglaries in Oxnard—most likely during the ventilation period of the process when homes have to force out air.  In other cases, however, doors and windows have been pried, smashed, or used bodily force to gain access.
 
There are a number of steps that residents can take to further protect themselves and their property.  The Oxnard Police Department encourages residents to remove small valuables such as money, jewelry, keys, personal documents, flat screen televisions and small electronics.  Residents are also encouraged to advise neighbors so they can be vigilant and help report suspicious people or activity during planned fumigation dates. Furthermore, residents can ask fumigators about installing alarms and sensors at jobs, such sensors can alert fumigators’ cellphones if anyone enters a tented building.
 
Help keep our homes and neighborhoods in Oxnard crime-free and safe.  If you see suspicious activity, please report it to the Oxnard Police Department at 805-385-7740, or dial 911. Anonymous information and tips can also be made with the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (805)385-8255.
 

 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  10/29/13, 1110 Hours