Neighborhood focus: Crime rate up, but not to worry By Billie Owens bowens@theacorn.com

An upswing in crime bumped has Simi Valley from the top spot as the safest city in America for cities with a population over 100,000.

After leading Ventura County and the nation in that category for five straight years straight, Simi Valley is now second neighboring Thousand Oaks, according to statistics recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The two cities have traded off for years with both enjoying low overall crime rates. Simi Valley had a rate of 17.5 crimes per 100,000 in 2003, while the number for Thousand Oaks was 16.25. The cities’ populations are 117,500 and 124,000, respectively.

Overall, Simi Valley’s crime rate has been on a slight upswing for the past four years, according to Police Chief Mark Layhew.

Most of last year’s increase was due to robberies and burglaries, which rose by 15 percent.

"We had a depressed economy and with a depressed economy comes an increase in property crimes," Mayhew said.

People who use drugs commit the majority of property crimes, police say.

In Simi Valley, the narcotic of choice is usually methamphetamine, according to Layhew, but he said the the drug not a widespread problem.

The overall crime rate for Thousand Oaks decreased 4.3 percent, according to T.O. Police Chief Keith Parks.

"Thousand Oaks prevents crime better than many cities since it incorporates prevention as a central tenet," Parks said.

Numbers don’t lie

Police recorded 2061 crimes in Simi Valley last year. They included: 1,203 thefts, 466 burglaries, 205 auto thefts, 45 robberies, 102 aggravated assaults, 22 arson cases, 16 rapes and two homicides.

Compare those numbers to the 2002: 100 thefts, 355 burglaries, 163 auto thefts, 26 robberies, 105 aggravated assaults, 20 arson cases, seven rapes, and no homicides.

Mayhew said it’s important to put the statistics into perspective. There were two homicides last year, compared to none the year before. Yet percentage-wise that accounts for a 200 percent increase, which affects the overall crime rate, he said.

Looking at rates over a 10-year period provides a more accurate reading of the Simi Valley crime scene, Layhew said. The city averaged just over two homicides a year during that period.

Law enforcement experts say that of the drawbacks of being looked upon as a "safe city" is that residents can be lulled into thinking theirs is a "no crime" city. This false sense of security can make residents less cautious and do things the police warn against, such as leaving their homes or cars unlocked.

"So you get more crimes of opportunity, more bicycle thefts and cell phone thefts," said Sgt. Joe May. "And they all go against your crime stats."

Future looks bright

Overall, Simi Valley remains a wonderfully safe community in which to live, politicians and business leaders say.

Layhew credits a supportive city council, a successful partnership with the community and the 120 members of the police force.

The community partnership includes a Citizens on Patrol program, disaster assistance, citizen training academies and an active police foundation.