California Governor Gavin Newsom is touting the success of a safety initiative that has been underway in multiple areas across the state.
The initiative is a partnership between the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and local law enforcement agencies to focus on auto and retail theft.
According to the governor's office, the task force achieved "record-breaking results" in 2024. "By November, the task force recovered over $13 million in stolen goods, arrested approximately 1,406 suspects, and conducted 777 investigations," Newsom's office said in a statement.
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CHP Deputy Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp says the CHP has a great responsibility as the California state police, to assist local jurisdictions.
"Every person in this state deserves to be safe whether they're working here, living here, or visiting here, and we acknowledge the role that police plays in ensuring that this is able to happen," Beauchamp said. "In the spirit of this and at the governor's direction, the CHP has entered into partnerships with the communities of San Francisco, Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino."
Beauchamp said the group recently conducted a statewide blitz at malls and other retail locations, resulting in 117 arrests, the recovery of over $38,000 in stolen merchandise, three stolen vehicles, and the removal of two illegal firearms from the streets.
"These proactive approaches have allowed us to embed ourselves within the communities, working side by side with the police departments and doing high-visibility proactive police enforcement," he said.
The initiative also added new technology to help officers crack down on crime.
"This technology has been a game changer for the California Highway Patrol. Through this, we have access not only to 480 cameras but 12,500 flock cameras throughout the state of California," Beauchamp said. He said the technology has given them a boost in tracking criminals on the freeways.
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