T.O. RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE IN THEIR LOW-CRIME CITY : SAFEST CITIES IN AMERICA.

Byline: Michael Coit, Teresa Jimenez and Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writers

Abraham Gohari has never felt safer in a city than he has as a Thousand Oaks resident the past nine years.

``I've never had anything stolen. I don't have to lock my doors,'' Gohari said between sips of coffee at a local restaurant. ``It's much safer than other places I've lived.''

Gwen Brewer has lived in Thousand Oaks long enough to see it grow from a rural hamlet into a city with population topping 111,000.

``I had a lawn mower I left out once; it's the only thing I've had stolen in 35 years,'' said Brewer, a retired Cal State Northridge professor. ``I never worry here.''

It came as no surprise to Thousand Oaks residents that their city ranked high in this week's Money Magazine survey of the nation's safest cities.

The magazine ranked 202 of the nation's cities based on the FBI's annual tally of serious crimes, which was released in October, and a telephone survey asking U.S. residents what crimes they feared most.

Amherst, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo with 107,000 residents, ranked first in safety from crime. Thousand Oaks was rated second and Simi Valley fourth.

Residents, civic leaders and police officials in the two eastern Ventura County cities have become accustomed to safety in the suburbs on the threshold of Los Angeles. But they say they remain vigilant to keep crime from creeping into their communities.

``Just because you're ranked the safest city doesn't mean that you're safe: It just means we work harder,'' said Commander Kathy Kemp of the sheriff's East Valley station.

Mayor Andrew Fox said Thousand Oaks works at keeping crime in check.

``That's one of the reasons we continue to be one of the safest cities: We are concerned,'' Fox said. ``We're not just satisfied with statistics and awards. Our goal is to have zero tolerance for crime.''

Both city and law enforcement officials point out that, despite being safer than most cities with population of more than 100,000, Thousand Oaks is far from free of serious crime.

Just in the past week:

Sheriff's officials reported the first home-invasion robbery in Thousand Oaks.

Sheriff's officials arrested a 17-year-old Newbury Park High School student on suspicion of committing a string of sexual assaults from September through November in Newbury Park.

``It's not heaven yet,'' Kemp said.

Kemp said authorities continue to crack down on drug use. Robberies to support a drug habit can lead to aggravated assault and murder, Kemp said.

``That is a problem, our big concern: drugs,'' Kemp said. ``If drugs get out of hand, these other things follow right behind.''

Of particular concern to Fox is youth crime, whether gang-related or not.

While property crimes, such as burglary and theft, far outpace violent crimes in Thousand Oaks, Fox said a strong police force is needed.

``We're not a city that's absent of crime,'' Fox said.

``But I still think it's extremely safe, on a summer evening, to go take a walk or to walk your dog,'' he contended.

Jane Hetherington echoed the mayor's assessment: ``It's safe enough to go running at night.''

Thousand Oaks seems a long way from the graffiti and gangs of the metropolis over the hill, residents said.

``I think it's safe compared to a lot of places,'' said Howard Lowe, a 30-year resident of Newbury Park, talking with friends over coffee at a local restaurant.

``It doesn't matter where you live - if you grow, you're going to have problems,'' he explained. ``But in comparison, we're safer.''

Residents said they feel especially safe because of the number of sheriff's patrols in Thousand Oaks.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department provides city police services under contract with Thousand Oaks.

The city allocates a large proportion of its budget - $10 million of the $30 million general fund - to police services, Fox noted.

There are more than 90 sworn officers assigned to the city. The Thousand Oaks City Council this year hired two additional deputies and a detective to bolster the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving or COPPS program.

Residents want the city to keep law enforcement a top priority, they say.

Brewer said public safety is one of the reasons she has remained a resident of Thousand Oaks for 35 years.

``It's very safe and very interesting. It's very well planned, so we have a nice mix of people,'' she said.

``People talk about how terrible California is, but here we are,'' Brewer said. ``I travel a lot, all over the world, and this is a great place.''

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, these are the cities with populations of more than 100,000 with the lowest total of serious crimes in 1995.

TOP 10 CITIES CRIME POPULATION

1. Thousand Oaks2772 111,539

2. Amherst, N.Y. 2847 107,042

3. Simi Valley 2941 107,486

4. Livonia, Mich.3682 100,975

5. Sunnyvale: 3788 120,185

6. Santa Clarita: 3947 124,298

7. Burbank:4251 100,166

8. Irvine: 4740 126,255

9. Downey: 4843 100,391

10. Norwalk:4844 101,250

LOWEST CRIME RATES

Here are the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas in California with the lowest crime rates, based on the numbers of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants:

METROPOLITAN AREA CRIME RATES

1. Ventura 3566.6

2. Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/Lompoc 3946.4

3. San Luis Obispo/Atascadero/Paso Robles  4016.4

4. San Jose  4244.6

5. Orange County 4672.2

6. Santa Rosa 4729.4

7. San Diego 5030.5

8. Chico/Paradise 5044.1

9. Salinas 5103.9

10. Vallejo/Fairfield/Napa 5419.2

SOURCE: Federal Bureau of Investigation

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CAPTION(S):

2 Charts

Chart: (1) SAFEST CITIES IN AMERICA (see text)

(2) LOWEST CRIME RATES (see text)