California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken additional steps to bolster public safety heading into 2025, initiating new laws and enhancing enforcement strategies. In a recent announcement covered by gov.ca.gov, Newsom revealed that the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has recovered over $13 million in stolen goods and arrested roughly 1,406 suspects through November. These figures already surpass the totals from the previous year, with December operations continuing to target retail theft aggressively.

One of the most critical enhancements is the extension of CHP operations in the Bay Area. Initially deployed in February, these efforts were quadrupled in July to address rising crime rates directly. These surges were accompanied by the installation of 480 Flock cameras, contributing to significant investigative breakthroughs, including the arrest of freeway shooting suspects. "The state’s support has led to improvements in the city’s crime rates and reporting," local law enforcement officials told gov.ca.gov. However, they also cited challenges due to local policies hindering law enforcement efforts.

Additionally, the Governor has directed the expansion of collaborations, such as in Vallejo, where the CHP's Solano Area office has been designated to support local streets and assist with operational surges. This bolsters the presence of law enforcement in a city grappling with staffing challenges. Jurisdictions throughout the state, such as in Orange County, have addressed similar problems through contractual agreements with county sheriffs, as the state's reports pointed out.

A series of new laws, including AB 1779 and a slew of others, have been signed by Governor Newsom to create a more effective legal framework to crack down on retail and property crime. These measures will enable law enforcement "to ensure police can arrest retail theft suspects with probable cause — even if they didn’t witness a crime in progress," according to a statement obtained by gov.ca.gov. Other measures aim to more efficiently combine values of stolen goods to meet felony thresholds and impose new penalties for actions like smash-and-grabs and sideshows.

Throughout the year, the CHP has also conducted operations targeting various public safety concerns, such as illegal drugs and gang activity, leading to over 4,000 arrests. These coordinated efforts with local law enforcement have played a significant role in recovering more than 3,500 stolen vehicles and seizing hundreds of illegal firearms.