CHP sending 120 officers to Oakland, East Bay for crime crackdown

“The surge of crime and violence that we are seeing in our streets is completely unacceptable,” said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “The City of Oakland is hard at work turning the tide”

February 06, 2024 04:41 PM

California Highway Patrol sending 120 officers to Oakland, East Bay to combat crime — “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable,” Newsom’s statement said. “I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve.”

Jakob Rodgers
Bay Area News Group

The California Highway Patrol plans to temporarily flood Oakland and the East Bay with 120 extra officers as part of a “targeted” effort aimed at curtailing crime in the city, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday.

The swell of CHP officers will work with local law enforcement agencies on combatting a broad range of criminal activity, including vehicle theft, retail theft, cargo theft and violent crime, according to the governor’s announcement. The staffing boost will include “specialized units,” as well as “advanced investigative technology,” though the governor’s statement gave few details as to what that those measures might entail.

The governor pointed to persistently high rates of crime in the East Bay as a reason for sending the officers, which represent a nine-fold increase in the number of CHP personnel in Oakland and Alameda County.

“What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable,” Newsom’s statement said. “I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve.”

The highway patrol plans to use license plate readers to spot stolen vehicles. And it plans to employ “specialized” units, including officers with K9s and “air support,” the statement said.

In a joint statement, Mayor Sheng Thao praised the move, and expressed her gratitude for the “game-changer” that Newsom offered in sending the officers.

“The surge of crime and violence that we are seeing in our streets is completely unacceptable,” said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “The City of Oakland is hard at work turning the tide — increasing law enforcement investigations, increasing police recruitment, and investing in community and violence intervention efforts.”

Newsom has ordered highway patrol officers to Oakland in the past — often to combat sideshows, reckless driving, stolen cars and highway shootings.

The most recent officer surge in August led to the arrest of 100 people and the recovery of 193 stolen vehicles across Oakland, according to the governor’s announcement. A similar boost in staffing across the bay in San Francisco led to 460 arrests and thousands of citations, along with the seizure of 18.1 kilograms of fentanyl, the statement said.