Port Hueneme police report shows staffing restored, shifts in crime counts and continued focus on homelessness

Chief Frederico delivered the Port Hueneme Police Department’s 2024 annual report to the City Council, highlighting restored staffing, new equipment and an expanded focus on traffic enforcement, juvenile diversion and homelessness outreach. "Leading our community's efforts in safety, enrichment, and engagement," Frederico said, summarizing the department’s mission and recent investments.

The department reported it reached a staffing peak of 24 sworn officers last year and added operational resources — two motorcycle officers, a second full-time traffic unit, a drone, a Bosch crash data recorder and upgrades to tasers and body-worn cameras — without adding new full‑time positions. Frederico said the department also brought parking enforcement back under police management in July and created a community resources officer role to coordinate schools, graffiti tracking and homeless outreach.

Officer Zach Frum, the city’s community resources officer, presented the department’s homelessness data and outreach work. He reported the annual point‑in‑time count fell from 44 in 2024 to 21 in 2025, and that the department helped one out‑of‑state individual return to family support. "We've housed five people since the CRO position was created in 2021," Frum said, and he added that many people remain “service resistant,” meaning they decline offered shelter or services.

Frederico and other presenters explained an apparent rise in certain crime categories is partly a technical change. California law enforcement moved from the older UCR reporting system to NIBRS (National Incident Based Reporting System), which logs multiple offenses per incident and can produce higher first‑year counts for categories such as aggravated assault. Frederico warned that NIBRS’ more detailed accounting can make year‑to‑year comparisons difficult in the transition year.

The department also reported a slight drop in overall 911 calls and an increase in officer‑initiated incidents and traffic enforcement. Frederico credited motorcycle enforcement and new commercial enforcement equipment — funded by a $31,000 VCTC grant — for reducing fatal crashes since the program resumed.

On diversion and youth work, Frederico said four juveniles accepted diversion alternatives with county partners; three remained engaged in supportive services after the program. He described the department’s partnerships with City Impact and county probation as key to those outcomes.

Frum discussed increased frequency of "backpack medicine" outreach (a mobile medical and outreach team that visits known encampment locations) and said the department coordinates with county partners and local nonprofits to try to engage service‑resistant individuals. He also described targeted cleanups with Mandalay Village property management and said the department is adding outreach frequency and improving coordination with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to pursue enforcement options clarified by recent court decisions.

The presentation closed with questions from council members about reporting, heat maps of calls for service, and technology upgrades for dispatch. Frederico said dispatch physical upgrades are complete and technology installs are on order.