Police Laud Their Storefront Stations

Ventura police laud the effectiveness of their community storefronts in a report to be presented to the City Council tonight.

According to the report, the 10-month-old Montalvo storefront has succeeded in staving off gang battles as well as ridding streets of such eyesores as graffiti, trash and abandoned furniture. One measurable sign of success, the report states, is that local property managers say virtually all the apartments in the storefront area are now occupied.

The Westside Storefront, which is 6 months old, is working with residents of Ventura Avenue to improve the neighborhood, the report states. The community council meets at the storefront and about 60 local residents volunteer there.

According to the report, about 600 residents called or walked into the storefront seeking assistance in October alone.

The department hopes to soon open a Friday-through-Monday storefront at Ventura Harbor, where an officer has been patrolling since April. Drug traffic, weapons violations and thefts are down since the officer was assigned, according to the report.

The department has also stepped up patrols in Cabrillo Village, even opening a neighborhood storefront there for a couple of weeks in the fall. The efforts there have been less successful than those in other communities, with the officers still working on gaining residents’ trust, the report says.