Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day

Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day

On Tuesday evening, Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney accepted a proclamation from the Oxnard City Council proclaiming October 13, 2016, as “Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day.” The proclamation stated that “the safety of our community depends on how we keep our homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and communities secure from violence” and “crime and fear of crime destroys our trust in others and in civic institutions threatening the community’s health, prosperity and quality of life.” The city of Oxnard recognizes October 13th as “Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day” after the tragic death of Alfonso Limon Jr on October 13, 2012. Limon was an innocent bystander shot and killed by Oxnard police officers after they mistook him for a suspect involved in a shootout with police after a traffic stop.

The Oxnard Police Department has continued to use lessons learned from the tragic incident to make improvements throughout the organization. After the death of Alfonso Limon, the City agreed to review and consider equipping officers with body-worn cameras (BWC). Earlier this year, the Department deployed fifty (50) BWC systems to a select group of patrol officers. In June, the Oxnard City Council allocated $220,000 in Measure “O” funds to purchase one-hundred (100) additional BWC systems with the intent to outfit all Oxnard police officers that work in the community with a body-worn camera. It is anticipated that all one-hundred and fifty (150) BWC systems will be fully deployed by the end of 2016.

The Oxnard Police Department will also be looking to partner with community-based organizations in the coming weeks to fund programs designed to combat drug abuse, divert gang activity, and reduce violence. Information about the funding will be released shortly with the intent to cause the development and continuation of positive intervention programs for high-risk elementary and secondary school age students. “We pride ourselves on being a learning agency,” added Chief Scott Whitney, “We will never shy away from the past. We will learn from tragedies and make our department better and our community safer.”

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NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

Eric S. Sonstegard, Assistant Police Chief

(805) 385-7801 eric.sonstegard@oxnardpd.org