Newsom announces more CHP officers for Oakland; calls out Alameda Co. DA
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that he will be quadrupling the number of shifts of California Highway Patrol officers in Oakland in an effort to combat crime.
In a press conference flanked by CHP officials and the Oakland police chief, Newsom said that he would be increasing the 42 weekly shifts currently manned by CHP in the city fourfold to 162 shifts over the next several months.
"This is not a permanent operation," said Newsom. "But over the next four months, we're committed to keep up the intensity of this operation."
Over the past year, Oakland stepped up its focus on crime by deploying CHP officers to assist the city's police force in Operation Safe Streets. The plan focused on proactive enforcement targeting vehicle theft, highway violence, sideshows, carjackings and organized crime.
Oakland has been citing crime statistics that showed a rise in violent crime of 21% in 2023 over the previous year, along with a rise of 38% in robberies and 43% in vehicle thefts. However, since the beginning of this year, both Mayor Sheng Thao and the Police Department have reported a drop in overall crime by 33%.
Newsom is attributing much of this drop to the assistance of the CHP, which he credits with the apprehension of 1,162 stolen cars, 562 arrests and 55 guns recovered that were specifically linked to crimes since February.
The governor pulled no punches when calling out the Alameda County District Attorney's Office's accountability for prosecuting cases.
In February, both Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta offered District Attorney Pamela Price the use of prosecutors from the California National Guard and the state Department of Justice to help with the office's caseloads, which Price said she would accept. On Wednesday, Newsom said her office was not being cooperative.
At the Thursday press conference, Newsom doubled down.
"Yes, we've been disappointed [in the] the lack of engagement with the DA's office," he said. "So we're moving forward. Rather than complaining about it, rather than lamenting about it."
Newsom said the attorney general's office will be picking up some of the prosecutions, saying he wants to "lessen the load" that Price has on her desk and that Bonta's office will take on some of the more complex cases.
Embattled Mayor Sheng Thao was quick to praise the announcement of more CHP shifts in the city.
"After years of rising crime rates, we are seeing a steady decrease—and we know this is in part because of the strong partnership between the Oakland Police Department and the California Highway Patrol," she said in a statement released by her office Thursday. "This partnership models good government that yields results and I thank the Governor."
The enhanced CHP operations will begin Monday, according to Newsom.