By james art A new massive operation to combat violent crime in San Bernardino began Monday.
“We are deploying additional support to the CHP to help local law enforcement aggressively suppress criminal activity and provide this community with a new level of safety and accountability,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
San Bernardino has a violent crime rate that is nearly double the state average and a homicide rate more than three times the California state average. The city is Newsom’s latest target in a yearlong effort to reduce crime.
“This year, the efforts of our city police department have resulted in a 13 percent reduction in serious crime,”
San Bernardino said Helen Tran. “And the additional support will enhance public safety in our community.” “
Newsom says illegal drugs, including fentanyl, have been taken off the streets in previous spikes. Among the most successful operations, 3,000 stolen vehicles were recovered and over 3,200 arrests were made.
The governor also says the state’s focus on retail crime is also paying off. The 38 cities and counties that received $267 million in organized retail theft grants have made 10,138 arrests so far, nearly 8,000 of which were for organized retail theft.
“The state’s crackdown on retail theft is making a big impact more than ever,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Dury. “These successes are built on partnerships.”
Earlier this year, Newsom signed some of the toughest legislation to date in California with bipartisan support. The 10 new laws create tougher penalties, including increased sentences for organized retail crimes, empowering police to arrest retail theft suspects based on probable cause, and allowing prosecutors to collect stolen items at various stores and areas of the state .
As of 2019, Newsom has invested $1.1 billion in fighting crime in California.