Governor Newsom announced that the state recovered 113,245 stolen items worth nearly $6.5 million this year. Photo courtesy of Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

 

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – Governor Gavin Newsom on June 17 announced that from January to May, the state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force conducted 331 investigations, 629 arrests  and recovered 113,245 stolen items valued at nearly $6.5 million.

Spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, through coordination with local law enforcement agencies and other partners, has been involved in more than 3,800 investigations, resulting in the arrest of more than 4,400 suspects and the recovery of nearly 1.4-million stolen goods, valued at more than $58 million since 2019.

“In California, we value our public safety and back our business community. Organized retail crimes have no place in our society and I’m proud of the work our CHP officers do up and down the state to protect our families and communities,” Newsom said.

Using arresting tools made available in part because of the governor's organized retail crime package he passed last year and ongoing commitment to public safety, compared to April, organized retail crime enforcement has gone up in all areas in May, including 120 investigations, up 131%; 246 arrests, up 130%; 72,454 stolen assets recovered, up 66%; and $2,046,084 in assets recovered, up 49%.

As part of the coordinated national organized retail crime blitz from May 26 to May 30, the CHP conducted high-visibility enforcement operations throughout the state, arresting 90 individuals, recovering nearly $153,000 worth of stolen merchandise and identifying multiple suspects linked to organized crime rings operating in and beyond California. 

The CHP joined more than 100 law enforcement agencies and major retailers for this multi-day effort to investigate and intercept criminal activity in shopping centers, malls and high-traffic retail areas throughout California.

“Retail theft doesn’t stop at state lines and neither do we,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “By working together with our law enforcement partners and retailers nationwide, we are sending a clear message: if you come to California to steal, we will be here to stop you.”

The blitz, coordinated out of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, coordinated an effort across 28 states to seize stolen vehicles, narcotics, weapons and other goods. 

These efforts reinforced the importance of intelligence sharing, real-time coordination and proactive enforcement in deterring retail theft.

According to an analysis of Real Time Crime Index data by the Public Policy Institute of California, violent crime dropped by 4.6% and property crime dropped by 8.5% in 2024, compared to 2023. Overall, the decreases in violent and property crimes in California were similar to those seen by law enforcement agencies in other states, with property crime down by 8.5% in California and 8.4% elsewhere. 

California has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Public Safety Plan, the governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime, improving public safety.

Last August, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history. Building on the state’s robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills offer new tools to bolster ongoing efforts to hold criminals accountable for smash-and-grab robberies, property crime, retail theft and auto burglaries. While California’s crime rate remains at near historic lows, these laws help California adapt to evolving criminal tactics to ensure perpetrators are effectively held accountable.

As part of the state’s largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime, Governor Newsom announced last year that the state distributed $267 million to 55 communities to help local communities combat organized retail crime. These funds have enabled cities and counties to hire more police, make more arrests and secure more felony charges against suspects. 

Working collaboratively to heighten public safety, the governor tasked the CHP to work with local law enforcement areas in key areas to saturate high-crime areas, aiming to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity in the area, specifically vehicle theft and organized retail crime. Since the inception of this regional initiative, there have been more than 7,300 arrests, more than 5,000 stolen vehicles recovered and more than 350 firearms confiscated across Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland.