Oak Park safety town meeting is March 16

Oak Park safety town meeting is March 16

The community of Oak Park is having a safety town hall meeting 7 p.m., Wed., March 16 at the Oak Park Community Center on Kanan Road. The meeting is presented by County Supervisor Linda Parks. Representatives of local law enforcement and emergency services will be present.

In the past year Oak Park has experienced an increase in crime, from graffiti to narcotics traffic and armed robbery. The most recent armed robberies were solved not by local agencies but by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department currently only provides one deputy per shift for other areas and Oak Park. The CHP is seldom in Oak Park unless there is a traffic accident. The park district has cut back from a ranger every night to an occasional visit. This is in spite of the fact that every household pays a yearly special assessment on their tax bills for an increase in ranger patrol. The park district response is that maintenance is more important that security.

In the past, only a handful of Oak Park residents have attended meetings regarding these issues. I urge every resident to attend this meeting and demand the level of services that we are paying for. Without your support, other communities with a "squeaky wheel" will benefit by our lethargy and tax dollars. Do not expect to be represented by your neighbors. You need to be at this meeting.

Rob McGown

Oak Park