No gates allowed in Oak Park
Despite vandalism, request denied
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Acorn file photo HARD HIT--Trees at Deerhill Park were damaged by vandals

Upset by a recent increase in thefts from vehicles, Oak Park residents appealed for help at the March 27 Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council meeting. Representatives from one neighborhood asked for approval to install a security gate at its entrances to help prevent thieves and vandals from entering.

The community is also considering hiring part-time security guards and issuing decals to help distinguish residents' vehicles.

"Right now we're a target for crimes because our homes are more affluent," said Rich Iazzetta, a resident of the Regency/Chambord tracts where vandals have struck.

But MAC members strongly disagreed, citing historic precedent. Longtime MAC member and community founder Ron Stark explained why Oak Park has never supported gating neighborhoods.

"We wanted Oak Park to be one community, not a bunch of small communities that thought about themselves and their own problems," Stark said.

Other neighborhoods in town including the Morrison tract and the Symphony section on Lindero Canyon Road wanted gates but were turned down, Stark added. Gates block access to parks and hiking trails and prevent county street and landscaping maintenance, he said.

"It's a community problem and we'll deal with it together," MAC member Mike Green said.

"We want to find a better way of discouraging the problems up there. When you have 10 break-ins a night it's a concern," said MAC member Mike Paule, who lives in one of the areas hit by vandalism.

MAC members and police at the meeting assured residents that authorities are aware of and are working hard on the problem. Approval was recently given for 108 hours in police overtime for Ventura County's unincorporated areas, including Oak Park.

The move allows officers to sign up for an additional four hours of patrolling, increasing police presence in Oak Park, according to Randy Hosking, an officer with the California Highway Patrol.

"The sheriff's department has been totally responsive to everything we've asked. They are on top of everything," Green said.

Vandalism is not unique to Oak Park, according to police. Similar acts and thefts are taking place throughout the Conejo Valley, Moorpark and Simi Valley. GPS systems, iPods and laptop computers are among items reported stolen. Several related arrests were recently made in Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills.

"The fact that it's happening in so many cities means it's probably a group of people going around to different communities doing this," said Sgt. Joe Galante of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. "Whoever's doing it has experience, that's for sure."

The vandals are probably parking nearby and walking through the neighborhood, which allows them to look into vehicles and try handles, Galante said.

Many of the vehicles involved were unlocked, making them easy targets. Many of the thefts are taking place between 2 and 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.

"We have investigative units all working on the problem doing surveillances and more covert efforts to deal with the problem," Galante said. Residents can help by calling police when they see an unfamiliar car. "You guys know who belongs in the neighborhood," Galante said. "We don't know all the vehicles."

Residents also expressed concern about a man in an SUV who reportedly approached several neighborhood children to show them a dog in a possible effort to abduct them. MAC chair Todd Haines said he had heard the story and had spoken with police about it but was told it was untrue by Capt. Bill Flannigan, who oversees Oak Park for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

"This story has become more urban legend than fact," Haines said.

MAC member Jay Kapitz suggested contacting Volunteers in Policing in Thousand Oaks for help. VIP is made up of residents who provide support, including residential security, to police. There was some discussion of Oak Park creating a similar unit to help supplement area police coverage.

"You need to generate bodies of people willing to volunteer for the program," said Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, whose district includes Oak Park.

"I think we can get them," Green said.