Police chief to leave Moorpark for new position
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers TOP COP- Mayor Pro Tem Janice Parvin hands out an award to Capt. Jeff Matson at a City Council meeting last week. Matson was recently promoted to the position of commander with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. During his two-year tenure as police chief in Moorpark, Matson implemented several programs that have enhanced public safety for residents.

Moorpark Police Chief Jeff Matson was recently promoted to commander of the Technical Services Bureau for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Moorpark is one of five cities in Ventura that subcontracts with the county sheriff for law enforcement services.

Ron Nelson, who currently heads West County Patrol Services, will take over the position of chief when the transition takes place in early April.

During his twoyear tenure as chief of police in Moorpark, Matson has increased the effectiveness of the city's special enforcement unit to combat graffiti, gangs and property crimes, Councilmember Janice Parvin said during a council meeting last week.

"Your contributions to enhance public safety in our community are appreciated," she said before giving Matson an award on behalf of the city.

Serving Moorpark has been a challenging and rewarding experience, Matson said. "This is one of the best assignments I've ever had.

"When I retire and I hold my grandkids on my knees, I can say I was the chief of police for a great city," he said.

Developing relationships among residents, city leaders and authorities is one of the most important parts of a local police chief's job, Matson said. City employees made him feel part of the team from day one, he said.

Notable achievements during Matson's tenure at the helm include the reestablishment of a full-time school resource officer at Moorpark High School, the initiation of the bike patrol and the expansion of the gang unit from one to two deputies.

Fighting the growing graffiti and vehicle burglaries trends has been among his greatest challenges, he said.

"Dealing with the graffiti issue has definitely been difficult because it's a type of culture out there were kids seek recognition through vandalism," Matson said.

Vehicle thefts are on the rise throughout the county because people leave valuables in their car, he said.

"They live in a safe town so they don't remove items from their cars, and culprits usually break into cars where they see property visibly left out."

Matson has been with the department for 25 years. He's served as administrative services captain for Thousand Oaks and has managed the Pre-trial Detention Facility and the Internal Affairs Unit.

As commander of the Technical Services Bureau, Matson will oversee the department's information systems, crime lab and property evidence units.

Information systems handles hardware and software computer systems used by the department. The crime lab manages forensic evidence and information such as DNA testing.

Forensics is an expensive and time-consuming science. "It's a lot different than what you see on TV," Matson said.

As the database grows, information gathered through DNA effectively solves crimes by linking evidence to wrongdoers. In recent years the DNA database has helped solve at least 100 old cases in the county, he said.

When someone is arrested for a felony, he or she must submit a DNA sample to authorities. The information is then made available to all law enforcement agencies.