I have sent this to all council members, but I wanted to share this here for discussion and I will also be submitting a comment at the next council meeting.

There are numerous public concerns regarding increased mass surveillance. The safety and storage of the data that is collected, federal agencies pressuring local law enforcement to access this data, and the constitutionality of using these devices all come into question. What I am struggling to decipher is:

Why are we installing these new cameras?

Are these cameras actually addressing the most urgent needs when it comes to Camarillo residents and their safety?

There is no data, no meaningful study, that suggests that the presence of Flock Cameras decreases crime or makes us more safe.

One of the main points brought up by the Ventura County Sheriff's office during the October 2025 City Council meeting in favor of adding additional ALPRs was the property crime cases along “Theft Corridor" on Ventura Rd. According to the Sheriff's Office, these theft cases by the Camarillo Outlets are largely committed by LA residents who come into the City, steal from the Outlets, and then drive back to LA County. If the solution to this issue is being sold to tax payers as “we can decrease property crimes by spying on our own residents to the point that government agencies and third party data brokers can map out where we live, where we worship, and where we work so that Armani, Coach, and Jimmy Choo can prevent product loss”, I would say that is not a solution at all.

According to the 2025 Crime Statistics report from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Ventura County, including Camarillo, actually saw a decrease in property crimes from 2024 to 2025. So I’m not sure justifying adding additional cameras makes a ton of sense when theft, as a whole, is down from last year.

However, what stood out to me from the report was the largest increase in crime, up 23% throughout Ventura County is categorized as “‘crimes against society’, which in­cludes drug offenses, weapons viola­tions and prostitution. These offenses are often generated by proactive en­forcement efforts rather than by calls from victims, and represented 35% of all crimes the Sheriff’s Office reported”. (Source: Camarillo Acorn and VCSO website)

So my questions for you all is this: Why are we not focusing our time, effort, and energy on social services to address the spike in crime that is clearly a result of economic hardship and poverty? Why, instead, are we dumping additional tax payer resources into property crime enforcement that does not materially benefit the people who live in Ventura County and instead increases the surveillance state and rates of mass incarceration?

And the unfortunate answer that I’ve come to realize is: “because it’s hard”.

It’s much easier to continue incarcerating individuals for theft, drug use, and crimes related to poverty than it is to build systems that combat poverty itself. It’s much easier to sit in front of your constituents and defend paying $26.5M for Public Safety than it is to defend allocating more money to services that directly benefit struggling residents, but may not have a flashy statistic that’s attached to it. It’s much easier, as elected officials, to pat yourself on the back and label yourself as “tough on crime” than it is to stand up and say no to the people responsible for keeping us safe when they request equipment that can be helpful in solving crimes, but can be detrimental to building community and trust.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Maybe I am that guy who now screams about individual liberties needing to be valued while others feel more safe. Maybe I believe that these devices, which can undoubtedly be used for good, can also be used for absolute evil. That surveillance of the public will ultimately be used as a tool of the few to suppress the voices and outcries of the many. No matter what side of the aisle you sit on, the information collected about you by these devices, information that reveals who you are, your habits, your vices, your safe places, your family, all could be used to silence you. To threaten you. To scare you from standing up for what you believe in.

I’m sure when you ask Camarillo residents what issue is most important to them this election season, the majority of answers will be about affordability, healthcare, or housing. I wonder how many will say, “Well, the Nike outlet losing out on shoe sales is troubling”. The City of Camarillo currently spends 3X more on policing than it does on community programming and services, and that isn’t surprising, but it needs to change (Source: Camarillo City Council 2026 Budget Allocations Page 77). That change can start with reviewing the $108,000 Flock purchase approved by council and really analyzing if it was worth it. I hope next October, you view this service request with a bit more pause, a bit more scrutiny, and honestly, a bit more concern for the folks who actually live here.

Thank you for your time this evening

Join us to carry on the work of the late Congressman John Lewis at Saturday’s Good Trouble protest. We must defend CIVIL RIGHTS, VOTING RIGHTS, and our DEMOCRACY! Food drive, info fair, speakers & write postcards to voters. SATURDAY, JULY 18 at VENTURA COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER from 11am–1pm

Title says it all! Just moved to the area and looking for Taco Tuesday deals in Camarillo.

Drop your recommendations for cheap street tacos or any low-key spots running specials tonight.

Thanks!

I came across a kitten almost getting hit on Las Posas at Temple. I got out and tried to help and she was not having it and jumped inside this cinder block wall on Las Posas at Temple. Needless to say I’m at work now and couldn’t spare much more time, just wanted to reach out to any folks who may be good at catching strays

!EDIT UPDATE! : I went back and was able to find her and surrendered her to the Animal Shelter and they’re gonna help her 😭

Hey all,

New to the neighborhood. I have two boys, 11 and 8, and they are really lonely in a new city. I'm curious what things we could do with them, where they might meet a lot of kids their age? We are on the north side of the city, near Ralph's.

Camarillo Chess Club will be meeting again this Saturday at Zander’s in Camarillo ♟️

All skill levels and ages welcome. We play 10:00 min time controlled games.

If you want to join the email list for event updates check out camarillochess dot com

There is absolutely no requirement for you to speak or even be there on time-literally all that's needed is for you to physically be in the Council chambers where our City Council can see you (figuratively) standing against ICE's reign of terror in our city!

If you're attending this week's City Council meeting, it'd be wonderful if you wore orange &/or white bc orange is the color of the US immigrant rights movement (this comes from the monarch butterfly, which is the symbol of the US immigrant rights movement due to its regular migrations between the US & Mexico in pursuit of its own continued survival) &, for reasons I've forgotten, white is also linked to that (also, way more people own white clothes than orange clothes).

I volunteer with 805UndocuFund (we work with the 805's undocumented community) & our hope is that at least 340 people will attend this week's City Council meeting so that each of the fake butterflies we'll be bringing for people to hold up during the meeting to visually symbolize the 340+ people who were kidnapped by ICE in the Glass House raids (the Glass House farms in both Camarillo & Carpinteria were raided by ICE, who also teargassed, etc. peaceful protesters at both raids, on Thursday, July 10, 2025) to be given to their own person to maximize the visual impact.

& if you do want to give a general public comment, that period starts at 5 PM sharp & lasts for 20 minutes at the start of the City Council meeting-everyone who isn't able to speak in that 20-minute general public comment period has to wait until the end of the meeting to speak.

For a meeting like this that will likely have many general public comments, definitely plan to either arrive by like 4:30-4:40 to sign up in time to be assured you'll be able to speak in the meeting's 1st 20 minutes or stay very late into the night so you'll be able to speak at the meeting's end.

Yes, this is the same text as my post about this in the VC sub...turns out you can't repost images into this subreddit.

Please note that the nearest restrooms are a 10-15 minute drive away from it, in the Outlets & Camarillo Target.

Also, please seriously consider what level of personal risk you are willing to take before deciding to attend this vigil or not, as while I personally don't think there'll be that much safety risk at this vigil (otherwise, I don't think we'd be encouraging the general public to attend as much as we are) there are absolutely no guarantees it won't be targeted.

Sadly, this is not a very accessible event for mobility-impaired people, & people who need something like a chair or another person will need to bring their own.

Yes, this vigil's an all-ages one as in there's no age requirement for attendees of any kind, however between it being very much a somber vigil without anything specifically for kids to do & its lack of accessibility including, again, the fact that the nearest restrooms will be a 10-15 minute drive away, this is not a very doable or recommended event for younger kids, especially once you factor in the implied behavioral expectations (again, it's a vigil).

Please plan accordingly & with a realistic view of what your children are capable of.

There will be real-time translation between English & Spanish, however it is still unknown if there'll also be real-time translation between English / Spanish & Mixteco.

Unfortunately there won't be any sort of visual reference for those who normally need that to follow along with audio, however all speeches, etc. will be recorded & posted online after the vigil with at least subtitles if not full closed captions.

The reason why attendees are being asked to wear orange & | or black if possible is bc orange is the color of the US immigrant rights movement, & black is the other major color on the monarch butterfly, which is the symbol of the US immigrant rights movement due to also regularly migrating between the US & Mexico in pursuit of its own continued survival.

Hi folks, I wanted to check in because I was looking to make a public comment at the next City Council meeting regarding ALPR (Flock, Axon, Vigilant Solutions, etc.) cameras. I firmly believe that deploying a network of mass surveillance devices that collect identifying information that can be accessed by law enforcement agencies without a warrant is a complete violation of privacy and, in general, not chill at all.

I'm aware that City Council doubled down on the use of ALPR cameras late last year, and I'm wondering if any of you have been paying attention to recent meetings and if people have been consistently bringing up concerns around ALPRs since the contract was approved back in October of 2025.

Do you feel safer?

Do you think paying for these services has been a net positive or negative?

Any insight on this would be welcome, whether it's pro or anti ALPR cameras.

Thanks!

Are there any late night Taco stands here in Camarillo? I've lived here for about two years now and I've yet to see one. I don't want to keep on driving to Oxnard or Ventura to find them.

Hi everyone when were those new rumble strips added on US 101 on the Conejo Grade ? Last week on Sunday I drove on the Conejo Grade and those rumble strips were not there, pavement was black, now white and there was no rumble strips last week on Sunday, those are brand new.

Hello all!

I'm visiting for a family vacation and I'd love to learn from local? if there's a place certain to have some pickup basketball in city/town?.

Open to pay if temporary but moreso looking for any park runs..

Not a skilled hopper but hoop consistently for exercise.

June 26-30th is my stay there.

Suggestions?

Small Business Saturday isn’t until November. With Amazon Prime Day hitting this week, our feeds are about to be flooded with mega-corporate sales and ads. I figured it’s the perfect reminder to put some love (and dollars) back into our own community too.

Here’s a quick list of awesome, independent Camarillo spots to check out. It is by no means definitive and the shops are listed in no particular order.

• Pastime Legends: A nostalgic retro video game shop on Ponderosa Drive specializing in vintage consoles, classic games, collectibles, and hardware repairs. You can even bring in some stuff to trade and they got some comics, VHS and Pokémon cards too.
• Zander's Game House: A dedicated community tabletop gaming space on Ventura Boulevard featuring a massive library of board games to play or rent. They even have a cool section to buy if you are looking for a good gift or board game to take home.
• American Pie Records: A vibrant Old Town staple combining an old-school used vinyl record shop with a cozy coffee house serving espresso and fresh slices of pie.
• The Bookworm: A cozy independent bookstore in Las Posas Plaza with a massive selection of new and used books, plus a popular trade-in program. Can definitely sneak in a quick tasting at Sees' Candy or snag some gelato from Tifa around the corner.
• Deeply Rooted: A beautiful plant boutique on Pickwick Drive offering healthy houseplants, rare collector specimens, and stylish botanical accessories.
• Lombardo's Gourmet Deli & Meats: A classic neighborhood Italian deli and butcher shop on Mobil Avenue known for massive subs, premium custom cuts, and house-made sausages.
• Revolution Board Company: A core independent skate and surf shop on Ventura Boulevard stocking high-quality hardgoods, gear setups, and street apparel.
• Music Freqs: A fantastic community music hub selling instruments & accessories, rentals, expert lessons, and a dedicated performance space for local musicians.
• Camarillo Certified Farmers Market (Saturdays): A lively Saturday morning tradition in Old Town featuring fresh, locally grown produce, artisan food vendors, and handmade crafts that support the local hospice.

I barely even scratched the surface for restaurants or small fitness operations but I know we have some gems there too and you get the idea. Please share your favorite spots and shop local when you can.

Looking for a skilled barber who specializes in scissor cuts. I have thick straight asian hair that sticks out when it’s cut short. Thinking of getting a mod cut or a flow cut + iron perm. Any recommendations?

**edit: looking for girl friends! just uncomfortable meeting men on the internet

moved back to camarillo after 10 years away. i don’t drink or smoke. i have a bachelors degree in science, pursuing a career in medical. i have an aussie puppy. i kinda play music, kinda make art, crochet, craft; all stuff i’d love to do more. i read a lot (no fantasy or romance). level 18 duolingo spanish. love movies, cooking dinners, riding my bike, dancing to the beat, board games, beach trips, karaoke, and most things that aren’t too serious.
i’m always looking to check out free events and try something new! message me if you think we might get along. (don’t worry, if we don’t, we can still make it a funny story)

Hi everyone, I’m looking for someone local who can help me practice Japanese. Ideally, I’d prefer in-person sessions around Oxnard, Ventura, or Camarillo if you’re a tutor, but I’m also open to virtual meetups or just casual conversation with someone who wants to practice together.

I’m mainly interested in improving my speaking and listening, and I’m open to either structured lessons or more relaxed conversation-style practice. If you’re a tutor, a native speaker, or just someone learning like me who wants to meet up and practice, feel free to reach out.

Thanks!

Is anyone doing the relay race that needs an extra runner to join their team? I really wanna participate in the relay race, but I don't have any friends who want to run it 😞

Join us for Flag Day at the Ventura County Government Center this Sunday, June 14, from 11am-1pm. We’re reclaiming our flag!
Bring food donations for Poder Popular — they are feeding farmworker families that have been impacted by ICE.
Local organizations will have info on how to keep our neighbors safe, updates and info on current & upcoming elections, and opportunities for YOU to help save our democracy.✌️⚖️

My name is Arun. I’m based here in Camarillo, I’m part of the local Toastmasters group, and I have 2 puppies. I run a small digital marketing business and have had the chance to work with the local Center for Spiritual Living and other local businesses in the area.

I know how much work goes into running a business, especially around here. A lot of owners are serving customers, managing day-to-day operations, answering calls, handling employees or vendors, and then still trying to figure out websites, Google, reviews, SEO, ads, and social media on top of it all.

I wanted to offer myself as a friendly local resource for any business owners here who want a second opinion before spending more money on marketing.

If you’re wondering:

• What free things can you fix before paying for ads or SEO
• What should you actually post online
• Where should you start if your marketing feels scattered
• Which platform is worth focusing on first
• How do you compete with bigger companies online
• Whether your website or Google profile is helping or hurting you

Feel free to ask here or comment below. I’m happy to give honest feedback for free, even if you’re just trying to figure out what to fix first.

No pitch. I’d just like to be helpful where I can. I know a lot of local business owners are trying to make smart decisions with limited time and budget, and sometimes it helps to have someone look at the basics and give you a clear answer.

Happy to be part of the community and looking forward to helping however I can.