May 31, 2020; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Police officers and the National Guard watch over LAPD headquarters as a protest is held nearby. The death of unarmed black man George Floyd allegedly by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked protests across the country. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro/Staff via USA TODAY NETWORK
Sacramento, California – California’s multi-agency crackdown on crime appears to be paying off, with state officials reporting thousands of arrests, a sharp drop in shootings, and a significant recovery of stolen property across three of the state’s most challenged cities.
According to figures released by Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, a collaborative enforcement push involving the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and local law enforcement in Bakersfield, Oakland, and San Bernardino has led to 6,727 arrests, the recovery of 4,842 stolen vehicles, and the seizure of 313 illegal firearms since early 2024.
These operations, launched in response to rising concerns over violent crime and theft, have targeted high-crime areas with additional patrols and aerial surveillance, with early data suggesting a measurable impact.
In Oakland, where the joint effort began in February 2024, citywide crime has dropped by 34% compared to the previous year. Robbery is down 25%, burglary nearly 50%, and motor vehicle theft by a third. Officials have arrested 2,101 individuals — most on felony charges — and confiscated 192 guns.
Bakersfield, meanwhile, has seen a dramatic 57% reduction in homicides and a 60% drop in shootings, making 2024 its safest year since 2021. More than 3,300 arrests have been made in the city, including 680 felonies. Officials attribute part of the success to coordinated aerial-ground pursuits and aggressive enforcement in high-risk neighborhoods.
In San Bernardino, the effort has yielded 1,311 arrests since October, 249 of them for felonies. Law enforcement has also removed 34 illegal firearms and recovered 90 stolen vehicles. The region is now using advanced camera networks that track vehicles based on make, model, and color — not just license plates — allowing for real-time tracking of suspected crime-related vehicles.
“CHP officers are working side by side with local departments to bring a renewed sense of safety to communities that have been deeply impacted by crime,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “This is what a commitment to public safety looks like.”
The numbers align with broader statewide trends. Data analyzed by the Public Policy Institute of California show violent crime decreased by 4.6% and property crime dropped by 8.5% in 2024. Burglaries and larceny-theft are also down compared to pre-pandemic levels.
This is all part of a wider push by the Newsom administration. Last year, the state committed $267 million in grants to 55 communities to hire more officers and boost felony prosecutions, especially for organized retail crime. From late 2023 to the end of 2024, nearly 90% of such convictions were felonies.
Critics may remain skeptical of enforcement-heavy approaches, but so far, the data point to one thing: in some of California’s hardest-hit cities, crime is trending down.
