Outgoing Top Cop Wins Praise for His Service

After 16 years as Camarillo’s police commander, Ray Abbott started a new job Monday in the Sheriff’s Department’s West County patrol operations bureau in Ventura.

“It has taken a lot of blood, sweat and toil to make this community safe,” Camarillo Mayor Stanley Daily said as he presented a plaque to Abbott at last week’s council meeting.

The Sheriff’s Department provides law enforcement service to Camarillo under a contract with the city.

“Before he came to Camarillo, we were considered a training ground,” Councilwoman Charlotte Craven said. “They’d come in for a couple of years and then they’d ship them off to Thousand Oaks. We appreciate that you made a commitment and were willing to stay so long.”

Abbott’s career at the Camarillo station included such accomplishments as initiating motorcycle and bicycle patrol programs, as well as citizen patrols, adding more officers, expanding the special enforcement team, securing the new police station and laying ground for the opening of Camarillo’s first citizens academy in March.

“We’ve had good programs and have been able to keep the crime rate down,” Abbott said, adding that Camarillo has consistently had one of the lowest crime rates among California cities of its size.

The citizens academy is designed as an outreach program that will create tighter bonds between the community and police and serve as a place where the department will be able to develop volunteers.

Participants will attend a 12-week series of instructional programs designed to raise their awareness about how the department works, Abbott said. He added that his successor will see the program through.

Abbott’s successor, Craig Husband, was promoted to commander three months ago. Husband has worked as supervisor of the Todd Road Jail Facility and the Ranch Jail Honor Farm, and has also worked in the Narcotics Division and Homicide and Violent Crimes Division.

“I’ll continue to build upon a lot of the projects and plans that Cmdr. Abbott has put into place,” Husband said. “I want to continue to have a police department that’s trusted by the community, promotes neighborhoods where people feel safe and, at the same time, delivers cost-effective law enforcement services to the community.”

“I’ve worked with Craig in the past and think he’s a real gentleman, a real quality individual,” Abbott said, adding that leaving Camarillo is an emotional situation for him.

“I’ve been here a long time, but I feel good about what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Abbott said. “It’s been fun for me over the years--dealing with the city and getting support from the community, as well as from officers who work at the station.”