California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Dec. 27 an extension of California Highway Patrol operations in Oakland while also highlighting new laws that allow prosecutors to target criminals more aggressively.
The additional resources—originally provided in February and then extended and expanded to quadruple the number of shifts in June—were guaranteed through the end of December, but the governor said the operations would now continue for another month.
“We’re going to extend that commitment, but not for an open-ended period,” Newsom said. “We’re at that point in time that we need to see some commensurate support and reform and changes as it relates to policing here in Oakland in order to consider extending this state-subsidized partnership.”
The governor said local officials need to “address the crisis at hand” and change current policies that prohibit police officers from pursuing fleeing vehicles except under certain circumstances.
Ezery Beauchamp, CHP deputy commissioner, said his officers have arrested suspects who expressed shock when chased and apprehended because they are so accustomed to local police not pursuing them.
He said lives are put at risk when illicit actors are emboldened.
“When a criminal flees from the police, it is the community that is suffering,” Beauchamp said.
One local business advocate agreed and said the policy is endangering the community.
“We have a growing concern with Oakland’s restrictive vehicle pursuit policy,” Barbara Leslie, CEO of the Oakland Metro Chamber of Commerce, said during the press conference. “Criminals know they can act with little consequence, putting our residents, workers, and visitors at risk.”
She said robberies, shoplifting, and other crimes are so pervasive that business investments in Oakland are suffering.
“Public safety is the primary concern for businesses when making decisions about where to locate, expand, or—even more concerning right now—whether to stay at all,” Leslie said.
“The ripple effect this is having on our small retailers and restaurants is devastating.”
A local pastor, Bishop Bob Jackson, said he welcomes the change.
“I heard someone say we need to make Oakland great again, and that’s what we’re really looking forward to,” he said. “I’ve been here 79 years, and ... crime was never like what it is today.”
Surge operations are also underway in San Francisco, Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and Vallejo.
The governor described Bakersfield and Kern County as the “murder capital of California,” ranking as the most dangerous area in five of the last six years.
Across operations this year, hundreds of illegal firearms were seized, more than 4,000 suspects arrested, and more than 3,500 stolen vehicles recovered.
Nearly 500 Flock cameras were installed in nine months, a move the CHP deputy commissioner called a “game changer” that allows the agency to track suspects more effectively. Flock cameras are capable of reading license plates and referring the location of vehicles with flagged plates to law enforcement.
A network of approximately 12,500 cameras statewide is furthering investigations, according to Beauchamp, including aiding the arrest of two suspects wanted for attempted murder in a freeway shooting case.
Additionally, the state’s retail theft task force recovered more than $13 million worth of stolen goods and arrested more than 1,400 suspects in 2024.
Since it was established in 2019, the task force has seized $51.3 million in stolen merchandise.
According to a statement from the governor’s office, a blitz operation coordinated with 56 retailers during the holiday shopping season netted 117 arrests and felony charges, including grand theft, organized retail crimes, auto theft, and illegal possession of firearms.
New laws, effective Jan. 1, will strengthen law enforcement efforts related to retail theft, auto break-ins and thefts, and illegal street takeovers.
Proposition 36—passed by voters in November to reform parts of Proposition 47, which reduced some drug and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanors—took effect Dec. 18 and now allows for stricter penalties and more judicial discretion to charge felonies for repeat offenders.
The governor expressed concern before the election that funding would be needed to address the rehabilitation efforts mandated by Prop 36.
State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares told The Epoch Times that Republicans in the Senate and Assembly sent a letter to Newsom asking to fully fund the substance abuse and mental health programs that will help implement the new law. The letter noted that the state’s existing Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) court program lacks effectiveness because participants can drop out with no consequences.
“There is going to be an opportunity to connect and give CARE court some teeth with Prop 36,” Valladares said. “We’re not out of the woods yet, by any means, but it’s an important step in the right direction.”
A law enforcement official from northern California said the Legislature needs to consider the damage its policies have caused in recent years.
“The government’s decision not to punish criminals means more crime that punishes people and businesses,” Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall told The Epoch Times.
He called on the governor and state representatives to meet with sheriffs from across the state to discuss possible solutions and understand the implications of policy decisions.
“If we really want to get ahead of this, California has got to create education, opportunity, and accountability,” Kendall said. “You can’t paint the state with a broad brush. We all need to be at the table to explain what best serves our communities.”
