Ventura County has been named the safest of the largest counties in California after its overall crime rate dropped by 59 percent over the past 28 years.
The Ventura County Civic Alliance—a group made up of county leaders for the advancement of the region—compiled a 2023 State of the Region Report using data compiled by the California Department of Justice.
The data measured crimes per 1,000 residents in the state’s 16 largest counties, along with the crime rate over time, and divided such into two categories: violent crimes such as homicide, rape, assault and robbery, and property crimes such as theft, burglary and arson.
The report used data to show that Ventura County had the lowest rates of reported crimes among the 16 largest counties in California in 2022.
It highlighted the county’s decrease from 1994 to 2022, also noting its 2022 crime rate was the lowest in the county’s modern history.
While the overall crime rate for the county in 1994 was 37.52 crimes per 1,000 residents, it dropped to 15.49 crimes in 2022—a 59 percent decrease, according to the report.
The county’s violent crime rate in 2022 was just below two reported crimes per 1,000 residents, while its property crimes rate was 13.51 per 1,000 residents.
“This doesn’t happen by accident,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, in a Dec. 6 press release. “Ventura County is a special place. We’re proud of the great working relationships amongst our local law enforcement agencies and we place great value in our community partnerships.”
The cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks reported the lowest crime rates in Ventura County, according to the press release.
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said his department’s approach to reducing crime lies in building relationships with the community.
“Our approach to reducing crime and ensuring the safety of residents and visitors, is based on the collaboration between law enforcement and the community coming together to identify and solve public safety issues,” Mr. Fryhoff said in the same press release.
