Editing Ventura County, California (section)

==Government==

Current county [[County board of supervisors|supervisors]] are Matt LaVere (District 1), Jeff Gorell (District 2), Kelly Long (District 3), Janice Parvin (District 4), and Vianey Lopez (District 5).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Supervisors |url=https://www.ventura.org/board-of-supervisors/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=Ventura County |language=en-US}}</ref> Dr. Sevet Johnson is the Interim County Executive Officer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. Sevet Johnson selected as Interim County Executive Officer – Ventura County News Channel Website |url=https://news.ventura.org/en/dr-sevet-johnson-selected-as-interim-county-executive-officer/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> James Fryhoff is the sheriff of the [[Ventura County Sheriff's Department]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breitung |first=Kaare |title=SHERIFF JAMES FRYHOFF |url=https://www.venturasheriff.org/sheriff-james-fryhoff/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=Ventura County Sheriff's Office |language=en-US}}</ref> Dustin Gardner is the chief of the [[Ventura County Fire Department]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chief's Message – Ventura County Fire Department |url=https://vcfd.org/about-vcfd/chiefs-message/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Federal and state representation===
Much of the county, including the cities of [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]], [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]] and [[Moorpark, California|Moorpark]], lie within the [[California's 26th congressional district|26th congressional district]], which is represented by {{Representative|cacd|26|fmt=pfl}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|26|access-date=September 25, 2014}}</ref> Other parts of the county are in {{Representative|cacd|24|fmt=district}}, {{Representative|cacd|25|fmt=district}}, and {{Representative|cacd|30|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_cd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | title = Counties by County and by District
 | publisher = California Citizens Redistricting Commission
 | access-date = September 24, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130930184128/http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_cd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | archive-date = September 30, 2013
| url-status = dead
 }}</ref> For the previous twenty five years, most of Ventura County was represented by [[Elton Gallegly]], a conservative Republican from Simi Valley, who retired in 2012.

In the [[California State Senate]], Ventura County is split between {{Representative|casd|19|fmt=sdistrict}}, and {{Representative|casd|27|fmt=sdistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_sd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | title = Communities of Interest&nbsp;— County
 | publisher = California Citizens Redistricting Commission
 | access-date = September 28, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151023054153/http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_sd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | archive-date = October 23, 2015
| url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

In the [[California State Assembly]], Ventura County is split between four legislative districts:<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_ad_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | title = Communities of Interest&nbsp;— County
 | publisher = California Citizens Redistricting Commission
 | access-date = September 28, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151023054757/http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_ad_finaldraft_splits.zip
 | archive-date = October 23, 2015
| url-status = dead
 }}</ref>
* {{Representative|caad|37|fmt=adistrict}},
* {{Representative|caad|38|fmt=adistrict}},
* {{Representative|caad|44|fmt=adistrict}}, and
* {{Representative|caad|45|fmt=adistrict}}

===Government and policing===
====County supervisors====
Ventura County is administered by five elected Supervisors who each serve four year terms. They appoint the county executive officer who appoints non-elected department administrators who manage county functions. The county seal, that was adopted in 1964, was reviewed in 2022 due to prominent depiction of [[Statues of Junípero Serra (Ventura, California)|Junípero Serra]] that could be hurtful to those who allege that Serra was responsible for [[California mission clash of cultures|the suppression of the culture]] of [[Chumash people]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stoelk |first=Dave |date=January 14, 2022 |title=Ventura County may soon strip controversial missionary from official seal |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2022/01/14/ventura-county-may-soon-strip-controversial-missionary-from-official-seal |access-date=January 15, 2022 |work=Spectrum News1}}</ref> The seal also had images referring to atomic energy and oil drilling that no longer represented the county industries.<ref>{{cite news |title=St. Junipero Serra could soon be removed from California county seal |publisher=[[Catholic News Agency]] |date=July 23, 2020 |first=Kevin |last=Jones |newspaper=[[Catholic Telegraph]] |url=https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/st-junipero-serra-could-soon-be-removed-from-california-county-seal/68022 |access-date=July 23, 2020
|archive-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723164133/https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/st-junipero-serra-could-soon-be-removed-from-california-county-seal/68022 |url-status=live }}</ref> A new seal was adopted that depicts Arch Rock off [[Anacapa Island]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Kathleen |date=May 25, 2022 |title=Updated county seal approved without Serra image |url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2022/05/25/new-ventura-county-seal-features-channel-island-no-mission/9857829002/ |access-date=May 26, 2022 |newspaper=Ventura County Star |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Ventura County Sheriff====
The Ventura County Sheriff provides court protection, county jail administration, and patrol for the unincorporated areas of the county plus contracted police services for the incorporated cities of Thousand Oaks, Fillmore, Camarillo, Moorpark, and Ojai.

====Municipal police departments====
The incorporated cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Port Hueneme, and Santa Paula have municipal police departments.

==== Crime ====

Ventura County is home to several of the safest communities in the U.S., including [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]], [[Simi Valley, California|Simi Valley]], [[Newbury Park, California|Newbury Park]], and [[Moorpark, California|Moorpark]]. Overall, crime in the county is 33% lower than California and U.S. rates.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.conejovalleyguide.com/welcome/thousand-oaks-other-ventura-county-cities-rank-among-safest.html|title=Thousand Oaks, Other Ventura County Cities Rank Among Safest in the Nation in 2012|work=Conejo Valley Guide {{!}} Conejo Valley Events|access-date=September 6, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

According to a 2019 report, the county is the second safest county among California's most populated counties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2019/07/17/state-region-report-has-both-good-and-bad-news-ventura-county-civic-alliances/1737436001/|title=Ventura County Civic Alliance delivers good news and bad in State of the Region Report|last=Harris|first=Mike|date=July 17, 2019|website=[[Ventura County Star]]|language=en|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref>

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population and crime rates
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| colspan="2" | 815,745
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Violent crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11">Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. [http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/11.pdf Table 11: Crimes &ndash; 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222315/http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/11.pdf |date=December 2, 2013 }}. Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref>
| 2,021 || 2.48
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Homicide<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 29 || 0.04
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Forcible rape<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 116 || 0.14
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Robbery<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 757 || 0.93
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 1,119 || 1.37
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Property crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 7,696 || 9.43
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Burglary<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 2,954 || 3.62
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Larceny-theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/><ref name="LT-note" group="note">Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.</ref>
| 11,221 || 13.76
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Motor vehicle theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 1,154 || 1.41
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Arson<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 113 || 0.14
|}

==== Cities by population and crime rates ====
{{Confusing section|date = July 2020}}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="9" | Cities by population and crime rates
|-
! City
! data-sort-type="number" | Population<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8">United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. [https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/8tabledatadecpdf/table-8-state-cuts/table_8_offenses_known_to_law_enforcement_by_california_by_city_2012.xls Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California)]. Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Violent crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Violent crime rate<br />per 1,000 persons
! data-sort-type="number" | Property crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Property crime rate<br />per 1,000 persons
|-
| [[Camarillo, California|Camarillo]] || 66,506 || 61 || 0.92 || 955 || 14.36
|-
| [[Fillmore, California|Fillmore]] || 15,298 || 24 || 1.57 || 198 || 12.94
|-
| [[Moorpark, California|Moorpark]] || 35,102 || 41 || 1.17 || 330 || 9.40
|-
| [[Ojai, California|Ojai]] || 7,607 || 13 || 1.71 || 162 || 21.30
|-
| [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]] || 201,797 || 603 || 2.99 || 4,071 || 20.17
|-
| [[Port Hueneme, California|Port Hueneme]] || 22,142 || 65 || 2.94 || 467 || 21.09
|-
| [[Santa Paula, California|Santa Paula]] || 29,899 || 91 || 3.04 || 590 || 19.73
|-
| [[Simi Valley, California|Simi Valley]] || 126,686 || 141 || 1.11 || 1,916 || 15.12
|-
| [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]] || 129,171 || 157 || 1.22 || 1,838 || 14.23
|-
| [[Ventura, California|Ventura]] || 108,511 || 310 || 2.86 || 3,885 || 35.80
|}

=== 2040 General Plan ===
In 2020, the County of Ventura updated its [[Comprehensive planning|general plan]] to the Ventura County 2040 General Plan, as mandated by the [[California Office of Planning and Research]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Plan Guidelines and Technical Advisories - Office of Planning and Research |url=https://opr.ca.gov/planning/general-plan/guidelines.html |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=opr.ca.gov}}</ref> This document establishes guidelines and a regulatory basis for development and policy-making in the county until it is updated again in 2040.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - Purpose of the General Plan |url=https://www.vc2040.org/purpose-of-the-general-plan |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref> The County held surveys, workshops, advisory committees, and hearings to encourage community participation in the process of shaping and adopting the Ventura County 2040 General Plan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - Community Engagement |url=https://www.vc2040.org/community-engagement |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref> The final 2040 General Plan, adopted on September 15, 2020, by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, is centered on the following nine elements of governance:

* Land Use and Community Character
* Housing
* Circulation, Transportation, and Mobility
* Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure
* Conservation and Open Space
* Hazards and Safety
* Agriculture
* Water Resources
* Economic Vitality.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - General Plan Organization |url=https://www.vc2040.org/general-plan-organization |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref>

The Environmental Impact Review done by the state on the Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act, projects that the county will see a population increase of 13% from 2018 to 2040.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=County |first=Ventura |title=Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update |url=https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2019011026/2 |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=ceqanet.opr.ca.gov |date=January 13, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> As such, the review found no significant population or housing need changes anticipated for the county during this period.<ref name=":1" />

A 2020 lawsuit filed against the county by The Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business and the Ventura County Agricultural Association opposed policies in the 2040 General Plan which restricted oil and gas development, raised costs of agriculture, set high housing quality standards, and limited brush clearance.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update - We've Settled! |url=https://www.colabvc.org/portfolio/general-plan/ |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=CoLAB VC |date=July 31, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref> The suit was settled in February 2023 with the county's adoption of an Implementation Clarification for Certain Policies and Programs Contained in the 2040 General Plan, which stated the county's ongoing support of agricultural operations without altering the content of the Plan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=County of Ventura reaches settlement with CoLAB regarding 2024 General Plan – Ventura County News Channel Website |url=https://news.ventura.org/en/ventura-county-colab-settlement/ |access-date=March 15, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>