Oxnard Police Farewell Party Goes to the Dogs

As cop retirement parties go, this was a howl.

The party was for two Oxnard crime stoppers who worked 18,200 cases during their careers.

Marco and Dino, Belgian Malinois dogs who served on Oxnard Police Department’s K-9 team a combined 13 years, barked their final goodbyes during a recent retirement barbecue in their honor.

In addition to being members of one of the county’s oldest police dog units, which was formed in 1980, Marco and Dino were two of the most successful four-legged cops to ever serve the department, officers said.

Last November, Marco sniffed out 35 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine stashed under a south Oxnard house. And in May, he clamped his jaws on a man accused of a drive-by shooting.

Dino was named “top dog” twice last year after sweeping victories in major canine competitions in Phoenix and Chatsworth.

In 1998, he helped subdue two knife-wielding men.

Together, the pair have assisted in 285 arrests since 1994, said Oxnard Senior Officer Steven Moore.

Both dogs now spend their days patrolling the backyards of their handlers.

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Vandals are learning not to try to “get up” in Thousand Oaks.

Officers are crediting sharp-eyed citizens for helping to solve a string of gang-related graffiti crimes that dotted the city since December.

In fact, Ventura County sheriff’s detectives say more citizens than ever are reporting vandalism, contributing to a rise in arrests of gang members.

There were 86 gang-related vandalism cases in 1997 in Thousand Oaks and 194 in 1998, the most recent year for which figures are available. A majority of those were graffiti cases in which an arrest was made, authorities said.

“The credit goes to the citizens. They’re out there and haven’t been hesitant to call,” said Senior Deputy Brian Richmond, one of eight full-time officers who handle gang crime in the city.

The deputy said it’s helpful when the station receives several calls on a single case, because more information means a stronger case and often a quicker arrest.

Recently, two 16-year-old gang members were busted for spray-painting a block wall. A deputy caught the teens in the act after being alerted by two citizens who called the station.

During questioning, the teens admitted involvement in at least seven other graffiti cases, Richmond said.

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You would think dealing with murderers and rapists for a living would be enough of a horror show.

But not for Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Stephens, 28, a courtroom bailiff who moonlights as a writer and producer of low-budget fright films.

So far, he has made two: a campy B-flick titled “Decay” that is available in some video rental stores and “Vampire Night,” which recently had its premiere at the Century City Playhouse.

Shot in 14 days during Stephens’ vacation and with a few thousand dollars scraped together from savings and investors, “Vampire Night” is the story of a naive young lass who moves to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a star.

Instead of winding up in pictures, she becomes the prey of a bloodsucking vampire cult.

The film includes a cameo by the producer’s father, Dennis Stephens, who is also a county sheriff’s deputy. The elder Stephens has no lines as the accidental tourist, but he does get bled by a pack of female fangorias.

Stephens is not getting rich, but he is having fun. And no, there is no comparison between his job and his hobby as filmmaker.

“What’s I’m doing is not reality, like what I see on the job. There’s no such thing as vampires,” Stephens said.

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And this from the silly criminal tricks file:

Two boys, 15 and 14, were arrested recently on suspicion of stealing a gray Suburban in Ojai after they pulled up behind an unmarked police car.

Authorities say the teens found the vehicle parked in front of a business on Ojai Avenue. We know folks up there are a bit more relaxed than the rest of us, but this owner left the doors unlocked and the keys dangling from the ignition.

After a broadcast went out about the “hot” rod, deputies used patrol cars to surround a neighborhood where the Suburban was last seen, said Sheriff’s Det. Joe Evans.

Evans was patrolling inside the perimeter in his unmarked car, when he spotted the Suburban in his rearview mirror. He pulled over and let the fellas pass before moving in for the bust.

Thanks for making it so easy, guys.

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Holly Wolcott can be reached at 653-7581 or at Holly.Wolcott@latimes.com