Thousand Oaks, Simi No Longer Safest Cities : Statistics: They drop to second and fourth place in ranking of nation’s communities with populations of 100,000 or more. Major-crime rates increase slightly.

For the first time in three years, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley have been toppled from the top of a list of the nation’s 10 safest cities with populations of 100,000 or more, according to FBI statistics released Monday.

The two east Ventura County cities, previously ranked first and second, were bested by Amherst Town, N.Y., a suburb of northeastern Buffalo with a population of 111,711, according to 1990 U.S. Census figures, and a crime rate of 30.30 major crimes per 1,000 residents in 1992.

By contrast, Thousand Oaks had a total of 3,447 major crimes in 1992, or 33.03 crimes per 1,000 residents, and Simi Valley had 3,547 major crimes, or 35.39 crimes per 1,000 residents, according to a breakdown by The Times of the FBI statistics, using 1990 U.S. Census figures.

Santa Clarita reported 3,774 major crimes in 1992, or a crime rate of 34.11 per 1,000 residents, ranking it third between second-place Thousand Oaks and fourth-place Simi Valley.

Oxnard, the only other Ventura County city with more than 100,000 residents, reported 10,058 major crimes, or a crime rate of 70.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in 1992. Oxnard’s 1992 rate was higher than the California rate of 67.73 and the national rate of 58.97 recorded in 1991. The 1992 state and national statistics are not yet available.

Every year, the FBI measures the numbers of major crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson reported by cities of 100,000 people or more.

Thousand Oaks was ranked first in 1989, 1990 and 1991, and Simi Valley had the second-lowest rating in 1990 and 1991.

“We were No. 1 three years in a row,” said Lt. Lary Reynolds, second-in-command of the East Ventura County Sheriff’s station, which protects the city of Thousand Oaks on a contract basis.

“They came out with the six-month stats a few months back, and we knew right then we’d lose that position,” Reynolds said. “But what can you say? It’s not that much. The bottom line is that Thousand Oaks is still a very safe city, and a very safe city to live in.”

Reynolds also speculated that the crime statistics may have been altered by a change in crime-reporting procedures by the California Department of Justice, which last August began requiring cities to report domestic abuse as cases of aggravated assault. While Thousand Oaks reported 185 aggravated assault cases in 1991, the number rose to 307 in 1992, according to the FBI.

Simi Valley Police Chief Lindsey P. Miller said that whatever his city’s ranking, it remains among the top 10 safest cities of its size in the nation.

“For a number of years, both Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley have enjoyed a low crime rate,” Miller said. “And whether we’re one, two, three or four, I don’t think makes that much difference. What’s important is the fact that these places are safe places to live.”

By contrast, Los Angeles reported 98.93 crimes per 1,000 residents in 1992, recording 344,795 major crimes last year among its 3,485,398 residents.

Affluent, well-behaved residents in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, a mountain range separating them from higher crime rates in Los Angeles, and good police work have helped keep the crime rates low in the east Ventura County cities, Miller and Reynolds said.

“I think that the Ventura County criminal justice system, . . .the courts and the police and the D.A. working together, have contributed to it, too,” Miller said. “I think the general quality of law enforcement in Ventura County is good (but) it’s hard to isolate any one factor and say, ‘That’s it.’ ”

Less affluent, more culturally diverse residents have kept the crime rate higher in Oxnard, said Oxnard Police Chief Harold Hurtt.

“I’m talking about everyday conflict,” Hurtt said. “There’s a certain amount of crime that’s related to gang activity and drugs and alcohol, but there’s also a certain amount of crime that’s due to our intolerance of others unlike us.”

But he pointed out that the serious crimes reported to the FBI only make up 16% of Oxnard’s police case load. “If you really look at the quality of life in Oxnard, the quality of life’s not that bad . . .. We’re as concerned about drugs, gangs and violence as any other city, but even with our limited resources, we do a good job.”

Major crime rates in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Oxnard have increased slightly since 1991.

That year, Thousand Oaks reported 32.4 major crimes per 1,000 residents, while Simi Valley reported 34.4 crimes per 1,000 and Oxnard 69.3 crimes per 1,000.

America’s 10 Safest Cities Lowest crime rates for cities with populations of 100,000 or more.

Crimes per 1,000 City Population* residents Amherst Town, NY 111,711 30.30 Thousand Oaks 104,352 33.03 Santa Clarita 110,642 34.11 Simi Valley 100,217 35.39 Sterling Heights, MI 117,810 39.01 Fremont 173,339 39.91 Sunnyvale 117,229 41.58 Livonia, MI 104,814 43.00 Overland Park, KS 111,790 44.53 Irvine 110,330 45.19

Source: The FBI, the U.S. Census Bureau, 1990