Safety Patrol - The LA Times reports on the lowering rates of crime in America's Safest City with a population over 100,00, the glorious Simi Valley, California. Just over the hill from my hometown, Simi Valley has always been the wicked stepsister to Thousand Oaks. Back in the 60s, the decision to build the 101 Freeway through Thousand Oaks paved the way for further business developments, such as the 1978 construction of The Oaks mall along the freeway corridor. While this information is probably more background than you need, the intention is to point out that while Simi Valley may carry the title of "safest city," there's also not a whole lot going on there: no mall, no full-service bookstore, just the Reagan Library and the courthouse where the Rodney King trial was held. Oh and the article also fails to note that a significant percentage of Simi Valley's population is made up of current and retired police officers, which probably helps to further explain the level of community policing.