Crime Takes Holiday on New Year’s Eve

Between the champagne toasts and the choruses of “Auld Lang Syne,” county residents found little time for mischief-making this New Year’s Eve.

According to police arrest records and jail bookings, the holiday night--traditionally a time when revelry gets out of hand--was not much more busy than a typical summer weekend night.

“Looking at the numbers we booked here--44 in a night--that’s not a whole lot,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Patti Dreyer of Ventura County’s main jail. “It’s nothing that would make you say, ‘Wow.’ ”

Between the main jail and the east county facility, 59 people were booked between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday, she said.

Of those arrests, 16 were for driving under the influence of alcohol, 11 were for public intoxication and seven were for drug-related offenses. The other bookings related to miscellaneous offenses and people turning themselves in for outstanding warrants, she said.

Crime in Moorpark and Thousand Oaks was a bit brisker than usual, though, said Senior Deputy Ed LeClair of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department east county division.

“There was nothing big, but it was a busy night last night,” he said Thursday. Arrests included two for drunken driving and two for public intoxication, he said.

Similarly, Simi Valley police nabbed two drunk drivers and two people who were tipsy in public, said Lt. Mike Brewer.

Across Ventura County, the California Highway Patrol made 13 drunk-driving arrests.