Director of Anti-Gang Program Denies Guilt

The director of a volunteer anti-gang program in Oxnard pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of falsely reporting a crime and falsely accusing a police officer of misconduct.

Barbara “Sunny” Atkinson, an artist and director of the Oxnard Gang Prevention and Mural Program, denied the misdemeanor charges during an arraignment in Municipal Court.

Atkinson’s husband, Shaun Stanistreet, pleaded not guilty to the same charges. A trial in their case is set for Nov. 24.

The 56-year-old Oxnard resident, who declined to discuss the case, faces an additional charge of destroying evidence.

Before appearing in court this week, Atkinson told reporters she filed a report in August against an Oxnard police officer who she said had exposed himself to a group of teenagers during a pool party at a teen center.

Oxnard police then filed criminal charges against Atkinson for allegedly making false claims.

Atkinson has been active in the Oxnard community by encouraging teenagers to stay away from gangs and express themselves creatively through art.

Last year she recruited youths to paint a 20-by-40-foot mural on a warehouse wall to make a statement against the escalating gang violence that has gripped the community in recent years and claimed dozens of young lives.