4 Police Advisory Boards Established

Four advisory boards composed of police, residents and business owners have been established to identify crimes that most concern the public and find ways to better combat crime.

Each board has about 20 members who live or work in one of the Oxnard Police Department’s four patrol districts, Senior Officer Mike Williamson said.

“We’re trying to improve our quality of life,” he said.

The resident-run boards each include two officers and a police commander. The boards have met twice, and regular meetings are scheduled every few months, Williamson said.

Once a board has identified its main concerns, subcommittees will be formed to tackle the problems, Williamson said. For example, if a community has big problems with graffiti, the subcommittee may recruit people in business and government who can help provide labor and materials to remove it.

“Each area of the city has its unique concerns,” Police Chief Art Lopez said. “This gives citizens a greater voice in the way police do business and helps us be more responsive to what the citizens want.”