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I live in the area and I must say I do whatever I can so that I don't have to venture very far into Oxnard. Shootings or stabbings almost every day!
Keeping things in perspective, as I said in an earlier post, Oxnard has its problems, but the city's crime problem is overblown. Compared with other cities of its size, around 200,000 population, the crime rate in Oxnard is low. In fact, per 1,000 populaiton, Santa Barbara has a higher crime rate. And, yes, they have stabbings and gang shootings there, too. As for Ventura County, not one city is immuned from gangs and grafitti -- even Ojai. By virtue of being the largest city in the entire tri-counties area (VTA, SB, SLO), Oxnard gets more attention. Does it have crime? Of course, but check the statistics and the place isn't so scary any more. Plus, anyone who pays attention knows that the city's government is engaged and active in solving Oxnard's negatives. Know the facts.
Safe neighborhoods include the inland areas on the west side of town -- VERY LOW crime rate. The beach areas get a lot of break-ins. North Oxnard is nice, but expensive.
Last edited by Winston Smith; 08-11-2006 at 02:32 PM..
[quote=cre8]Keeping things in perspective, as I said in an earlier post, Oxnard has its problems, but the city's crime problem is overblown. Compared with other cities of its size, around 200,000 population, the crime rate in Oxnard is low. In fact, per 1,000 populaiton, Santa Barbara has a higher crime rate. And, yes, they have stabbings and gang shootings there, too. As for Ventura County, not one city is immuned from gangs and grafitti -- even Ojai. By virtue of being the largest city in the entire tri-counties area (VTA, SB, SLO), Oxnard gets more attention. Does it have crime? Of course, but check the statistics and the place isn't so scary any more. Plus, anyone who pays attention knows that the city's government is engaged and active in solving Oxnard's negatives. Know the facts.
I'd like a pair of those "rose colored glasses". I have seen many places in the US with worse crime than Oxnard, but come on...overblown? Several shootings per week is not exactly trivial for a city of 188,000. My co-workers and I have to go into the city frequently as part of our job. We all know that you don't even take a second look at anyone, always yield - no matter what the circumstance, several streets you always avoid, etc. As for the local government solving the negatives... Businesses are moving there because their environmental practices get them kicked out of surrounding cities. Because of its reputation, it has more "affordable" housing than the rest of the county. It does not limit and manage growth like the rest of the county either. For that reason it is growing like a weed and fostering some very negative aspects. Say what you want, a wonderful town with the best of climates and a rich heritage is becoming a blight on this part of the state.
I have lived in a number of communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara county and I would NEVER recommend living in Oxnard to anyone, especially not to a person new to the area. You have to know where to go in Oxnard or you have a good chance of being in the wrong neighborhood. All you have to do is read the Ventura county newspaper and see that the majority of crime is in Oxnard. Yes, Santa Barbara has a surprising amount of gangs and crime too, but the main difference with Oxnard is the crime is consistent. Like the other person said there really isn't a point to live in the few nice places in Oxnard because the price is comparable to better areas outside of Oxnard. I would far rather live in Ventura, Ojai, Camarillo, etc. for the same price to live in the desirable sections of Oxnard.
I'd like a pair of those "rose colored glasses"...Several shootings per week.... My co-workers and I have to go into the city frequently as part of our job.
Ok, I don't want to get into a big debate about this, but I will take issue with the quoted points. I've lived in Oxnard for 12 years and in west Ventura County for 18. I've worked in Oxnard for more than 20 years. I've NEVER been a victim of crime in all that time (thankfully). I know the city, its problems and charms up close -- and HARDLY through 'rose colored glasses' (sigh).
'Several shootings per week' is just patently false. Know your facts: for the population, the crime rate is low. In fact, youth crime over the past 10 years is down 40%, according to KEYT news, and the city is SERIOUSLY cracking down on gangs and grafitti. Sure, there are bad parts of Oxnard, but what city is devoid of bad parts? I don't frequent the Avenue in Ventura (I lived in that city, too, and was a burglary victim once and assaulted on another occasion) or Santa Barbara's West Side or Lower East Side unless absolutely necessary -- particularly after dark. Oxnard is TWICE as big as either of those cities and THREE times as big as Camarillo, so let's compare apples to apples (crime per 1,000). As a matter of fact, didn't the recently exposed corruption at the Santa Barbara News Press uncover that paper's systematic practice of SUPRESSING stories about crime in SB? Perceptions can be deceiving. Just because we have an impression that crime in a given area is low or high doesn't change the facts on the ground. Let's have a reality check instead of fears based on perceptions.
Last edited by Winston Smith; 08-12-2006 at 01:22 AM..
All you have to do is read the Ventura county newspaper and see that the majority of crime is in Oxnard.
Well, my friend, respectfully I think you have to do more than that. The VC Star is a decent paper, but if you base all of your perceptions of reality solely on the stories you read in one newspaper, there is little I can say to you. It's worth reviewing and taking some lessons from the recent events at the Santa Barbara News Press -- or News Supress as some say -- to know that we have to do more than read the paper. Do some real research, watch or attend the city council meetings, get to know the city, its neighborhoods, its people, and you will have a different impression than that projected by a few news stories in one paper. Oxnard is the largest city -- by far -- in the three coastal counties north of LA, so of course it's going to be in the news more than other communities, but that doesn't make the whole city bad. I can understand that you or anyone might prefer to live in a community smaller than Oxnard with its current growth ambitions, but that is a personal issue. Live in a smaller town. Your choice. It STILL doesn't make Oxnard all bad. Mostly, I implore of you to do more than just read the paper before you form your opinions.
Just an aside, it's been my experience over the years that a lot of the people who slam Oxnard rarely go there and really don't know the place. You ask them if they know this or that intersection, neighborhood, restaurant, event, etc., and the answer is very often "no."
Last edited by Winston Smith; 08-12-2006 at 01:37 AM..
I actually know Oxnard quite well and my father was a city planner there for years. He would bring home stories first hand about what he witinessed in Oxnard. I have friends who live there still and wish they could get out. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but what concerns me is this forum is meant to inform people new to the area about potential areas that are desirable or less than desirable. Take the news paper out of the mix and just base information about people's personal feelings about living in Oxnard and I would imagine many would advise a newcomer to be very selective about where to live in Oxnard or advise completely against it. I agree that every town has their problem areas and at one time I lived off the Ventura Avenue in Ventura and on the lower eastside in Santa Barbara. I have been robbed in Carpinteria. I would still take those places over Oxnard. Just my opinion.....
...this forum is meant to inform people new to the area.... base information about people's personal feelings about living in Oxnard and I would imagine many would advise a newcomer to be very selective about where to live.... Just my opinion.
This forum IS meant to inform people new to the area, which is precisely why I'm saying what I'm saying. Despite what's imagined about people's personal feelings or someone's opinion, it's still imagined and opinion -- yet stated as fact. This is wrong. People should have the chance to decide based on statistics and facts, not impressions and opinion. If one is to believe the corrupt SB News Press, Santa Barbara is a low-crime place, but in reality, per 1,000 residents, it has more crime than Oxnard. (Compounding SB's crime rate is the *fact* that the city's housing costs are so high that law enforcement agencies are LOSING officers and not able to recruit new ones.) FACT: with HALF as many people, hate-crime incidents in Ventura are TWICE as high as Oxnard. Impressions and opinions mislead. Dig deeper.
Of course one has to be selective when moving to a new area, but is this unique to Oxnard? To new comers I say this: do your own research and know the facts about Oxnard (and Ventura, and SB). Don't let fear mongering or 'opinion' on this forum shape your decisions. Please know that Oxnard is a big place and growing. If this bothers you, Oxnard might be a bad fit, but this doesn’t make it a bad place. Oxnard is a diverse city with a lot to offer -- and overall a safe place to live. Don't for one second believe that the city is complacent. It is not. From the city government to the PD to neighborhood council groups, the city is active and engaged in every issue facing the city, from crime to growth to environment.
But don't take my word for it. You can get beat-by-beat crime reports from the Oxnard PD's Web site www.oxnardpd.org. You'll find plenty of public-record information on the city's Web site www.ci.oxnard.ca.us, where you can also view city council meetings. (Oxnard was the FIRST city in the county to make the meetings available online, by the way. FACT! The other cities are now following Oxnard's lead, one by one.) If you're truly interested in what the city leaders and residents who hold Oxnard dear have to say, watch a few of the meetings. Pay special attention to the public comment and council comment segments. You'll learn a lot. The comment periods are often heated and passionate, but insightful.
If you have questions about specific areas of town or incidents you've heard about, send me a private message. I'll do my best to get FACTUAL, non-opinion answers for you.
Last edited by Winston Smith; 08-12-2006 at 03:33 PM..
Your information will be very helpful to newcomers interested in Oxnard. People us this forum for both fact and opinion. They can get facts on the internet, census stats, school test scores, demographics, etc. but it is also nice to get a personal feeling about an area. Of course, everyone's opinion is unique and ultimately you need to take a trip out to your desired destination for a first hand look. I used this forum after I researched all the facts and stats about my preferred location, then started to read people's personal accounts about the area. It helped me a lot, if not more than the "facts" I first found online. I think both are helpful and probably why many are on this site - for local's thoughts and observations.
I couldn't agree more with Santa Barbara always getting away with looking like paradise when it really has its share of problems. I just moved from there and I couldn't be happier to leave that so called paradise behind. Although, I have to admit I often told my husband it felt like I was living in Oxnard!
Good enough, enlightenme. You're opinions and feelings are yours and perfectly valid for this forum. My point is merely that there is another side to Oxnard that rarely gets out, the side of Oxnard as a pleasant, ocean-front, progressive town with warm and concerned people -- and actually quite safe (as statistics show). These things, too, are very much true of Oxnard. Knock Oxnard all you want, but when compared to its neighboring cities on a level playing field (i.e. crime per thousand), Oxnard is not too different, and in some respects superior. That's my point. Some people may not like Oxnard, fine, but to make it out to be a cesspool where no one should go is wrong. There is good and bad in Oxnard, just like any other place in the world. You must admit, there are plenty of shopping opportunities in Oxnard. Hungry? You won't starve with the myriad of really good restaurants around town. Right? Then there's the Channel Islands Harbor -- gateway to Anacapa Island, Oxnard Shores Park, Plaza Park, Fiesta Days, the Strawberry Festival, several-times-weekly farmers' markets, Ormand Beach and neighboring Point Mugu State Park -- the biggest in the Santa Monica Mountains. Aren't these nice things?
Last edited by Winston Smith; 08-12-2006 at 04:43 PM..
You have to mention the awesome "mom and pop" Mexican restaurants in Oxnard too!! I miss the burritos my dad would bring home from places the average gringo wouldn't know to go to for the best Mexican food. Everyone seems to think there is only Sal's, but there are some great hole in the wall places that are amazing....
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wouldn't know to go to for the best Mexican food. Everyone seems to think there is only Sal's, but there are some great hole in the wall places that are amazing....
