Ventura County Sheriff's Office


The Ventura County Sheriff's Office, also sometimes known as the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California as well as several cities within the county. The cities that Ventura County Sheriff's Office provides police services for are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks.

Mission

The mission of the VCSO is stated by it to be: "We, the members of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, are committed to safeguard the lives and property of the residents of Ventura County and respond to public concerns in a manner which promotes neighborhoods free from the fear of crime."

History

The Office of the Sheriff for Ventura County began in February 1873, with the election of Sheriff Frank Peterson. What began as a duty to collect taxes and catch horse thieves has evolved significantly as the county has changed and grown. Seventeen other Sheriffs have held the Office of the Sheriff since 1873. The administration of justice became more sophisticated during the late 19th century. Sheriff Edmund Guy McMartin, a popular and upright man who was elected Sheriff five times, was the first and only Sheriff killed in the line of duty while apprehending a murder suspect in 1921.
Public hangings and bootlegging arrests gave way to police practices and procedures commonly recognized today. The modern era of Ventura County law enforcement began in 1959 with Sheriff William Hill. The 1970s saw the genesis of community involvement programs like Community Orientated Policing and Problem Solving, DARE and Neighborhood Watch. Today, the cornerstone of county policing is the partnership between the Sheriff's Office and county residents.

1920s

Sheriff Edmund Guy McMartin died on August 20, 1921 when he and Oxnard Township Constable W.E. Kelley were killed in the line of duty while attempting to arrest a murder suspect. Among his many accomplishments, McMartin was known for bringing the first automobile, a 1906 Urea, to law enforcement usage in Ventura County.

1950s

Deputy Donald Gregory was killed instantly on September 9, 1951 when the patrol car his partner was driving hit a telephone pole. An unidentified wrong way driver caused the collision on Highway 118 near Simi Valley. Donald was a veteran of the Korean War. He started with the Sheriff's Department in May 1949, and served the community of Thousand Oaks.

1960s

Reserve Deputy Bryce Patten was shot and killed on August 19, 1960 while working a roadblock on Casitas Pass Road. The suspects in a $150 liquor store robbery shot Patten to avoid being caught. The three suspects were caught in Bakersfield six days later and prosecuted. Bryce graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and was a full-time history teacher at Ventura High School. His students described him as a teacher with whom they liked to work. He donated many hours to improve his patrol skills, and served the children in the community as a Boy Scout Troop Leader. Bryce was survived by his wife, Diane, and their children, Charles, and Lucinda.
Deputy Earl Mendenhall died on June 15, 1961 from injuries received in a traffic collision when the mentally ill prisoner Mendenhall was transporting grabbed the steering wheel and directed the car into oncoming traffic. Earl served as a policeman for the City of Ventura prior to working for the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. He served in World War II with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Deputy Chester "Chico" Larson drowned on January 20, 1969 while attempting to rescue a group of hikers at Sespe Creek. Chico was stranded in a stalled rescue tractor in the middle of the river and was washed off the top of the tractor with 10 other victims. There was one survivor. Two days, earlier, Chico saved a party of 12 school girls and 2 adults. He was stationed at Lockwood Valley.

1970s

Detective Donald E. Haynie was shot and killed June 5, 1970 while attempting to make a narcotics arrest in Fillmore. Haynie and three other plainclothes sheriff's narcotics agents entered the house of a suspected drug dealer. The suspect's 78-year-old father shot Haynie once in the chest. The shooting was determined to be a misunderstanding, and the father was released. Donald served as a military policeman in the Army. He also enjoyed hunting with fellow officers and spending time with his family.
In October 1973, Lieutenant Harvey A. "Hank" Varat, a 14-year law enforcement veteran, was on a search and rescue training exercise in the Santa Susanna Mountains when he was bit by a tick and infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. He died four days later on October 20, 1973 from the fever. Varat helped develop the SWAT team, Deep-Sea Diving Team, and the search and rescue team. He is best remembered by his co-workers as his picture portrays, an organizer and an outdoors man contracted during a Search and Rescue exercise.
Sergeant Tom Collins died on October 25, 1975 when the helicopter he was flying crashed into the Santa Clara riverbed. Tom started the helicopter unit for the Ventura County Sheriff's Office in 1971. Prior to working for the department, he flew helicopters for the Navy. As a Naval Lieutenant, Tom was the youngest commissioned officer at that time.

1990s

Deputy Peter Aguirre was shot and killed on July 17, 1996 while responding to a domestic call in the City of Ojai. The suspect was also shot, but survived and was prosecuted. Peter started as a cadet with the VCSO and served as a Deputy for over two years. Peter was reportedly admired by fellow deputies for his compassion and ability to deal with people. Sheriff Carpenter described Peter as a "terrific officer with a bright future."
Senior Deputy Lisa Whitney was killed on August 12, 1998 in a traffic accident when a driver failed to stop at an inoperative traffic light in Ventura. Lisa was Officer of the Year in 1996. Her strong work ethic gained her the position of investigator with the Major Crimes Unit after serving only eight years as an officer. Whitney was a member of the Mounted Patrol Unit, the Mounted Honor Guard, and a certified trainer throughout California. Whitney is remembered as the "Angel on horseback."

2000s

Deputy Robert D. Bornet, a 10-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, was killed on November 6, 2006 in a traffic accident while attempting to stop a motorist for a vehicle code violation. Bornet was in uniform and driving in his personal vehicle when the accident occurred. Bornet also served 19 years in the United States Navy earning the rate of master chief petty officer. Robert is survived by his wife Vicki; and their four children, Katie, Leslie, Daniel, and Christopher.

2010s

Deputy Eugene Kostiuchenko, an 11-year veteran, was killed on October 28, 2014 while concluding a traffic stop on the 101 freeway at the Lewis Road off-ramp, in the Californian city of Camarillo. At approximately 1:15 am, Deputy Kostiuchenko was returning to his marked patrol vehicle when a second vehicle, driven by 25-year-old Kevin Hogrefe, struck the deputy, causing fatal injuries. Kevin Hogrefe, an alleged drunk driver, left the scene of the accident and was captured by additional deputies approximately 2 miles away at the Las Posas Road off ramp, after Hogrefe collided with a second vehicle, disabling his own.
Sergeant Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran of the VC Sheriff's Office, died on November 7, 2018 after he was shot while being the first law enforcement officer to engage an active shooter at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks on the night of November 7, 2018 at approximately 11:25 pm. 11 other people were killed by the shooter.

Organization

The sheriff is elected in the county general elections, and he subsequently appoints his three Assistant Sheriffs. The Assistant Sheriffs manage specific "services," or divisions, within the department.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office's rank structure is as follows:
TitleInsignia
Sheriff
Undersheriff
Assistant sheriff
Commander
Captain
Sergeant
Senior deputy sheriff
Deputy sheriff

In popular culture