Fire Chief Hamilton and Police Chief Jason Benitez gave a joint public‑safety workshop Tuesday that framed staffing shortages, response‑time targets and overdose calls as central challenges for Oxnard.

Hamilton said the fire department’s Insurance Services Office rating is currently “class 2,” and that the city is aiming for a class 1 in the next evaluation. He cited the National Fire Protection Association standard (NFPA 1710) that calls for four personnel on scene within four minutes and 15 personnel within eight minutes. Hamilton said Oxnard has improved some unit compliance after adding personnel to a station but remains below the NFPA benchmarks in many areas.

Chief Benitez described the police department as a “medium‑sized” agency with an authorized complement of 242 officers and a goal to arrive at the city’s highest‑priority emergencies in five minutes or less. He said OPD handled about 118,000 calls for service in the most recent reported year and that roughly 9–10% of those calls—about 11,000—were related to people experiencing homelessness. He also highlighted the department’s use of drones, body‑worn cameras and plans to upgrade less‑lethal equipment.

Benitez singled out opioid overdoses as a major local problem and underscored large fentanyl and methamphetamine seizures. “This is a lot to deal with,” he told the council, describing tens of thousands of grams seized over recent years and hundreds of naloxone uses by first responders.

During public comment, residents advanced different responses: one speaker urged an anti‑camping ordinance to give police leverage to push people into services, while chiefs cautioned that punitive measures often move encampments rather than resolve root needs. Benitez said enforcement must be judicious and tailored by time, manner and location. “That kind of punitive approach has a tendency to move the problem from one location to another,” he said.

Councilmembers asked about dispatch and booking delays; chiefs noted that booking at the county jail can occupy officers for hours and that mutual‑aid deployments and aging infrastructure pose continuing pressures. Council received and filed the presentation with no motion required.

Next steps: council members signaled ongoing prioritization of recruitment, station updates and interagency coordination; specific budget or ordinance proposals would return to future agendas for formal action if requested.