OAK PARK : 2nd Patrol Car to Pursue Speeders

In response to continuing complaints from Oak Park residents who say local teen-agers are breaking speed limits, the Ventura County sheriff has temporarily assigned a second patrol car to the unincorporated area.

The added car, a short-term measure while the community continues to discuss new policing options, will patrol near schools Monday through Wednesday in the mornings and afternoons for about two weeks. It will then selectively police problem areas.

The second patrol started Monday, joining a sheriff’s deputy who currently splits his time between Oak Park and Bell Canyon, another unincorporated area.

Technically, the California Highway Patrol is responsible for traffic violations in the area but only has the manpower to patrol the Ventura Freeway, said Chuck Monico, a member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council.

Residents have complained that the lack of traffic enforcement has given teen-agers the impression they can do as they please.

“The kids think they are in Disneyland,” Janice Smets, an Oak Park resident whose dog was run over and killed by a 16-year-old driver, told the council Tuesday. “They think they are untouchable.”

The council is still considering long-term policing alternatives, such as establishing a permanent contract with the Sheriff’s Department for its own patrol car and opening a small office in Oak Park for deputies.