By james art In an effort to help San Bernardino police reduce serious crime and theft in their city, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a plan Monday to get California Highway Patrol officers to lend some support.
Recent statistics show that San Bernardino’s felony rate is nearly twice the state average, and its homicide rate is more than three times the state average. In addition, the auto theft rate is among the highest in the state. Law enforcement officials also reported increased traffic and street violations, including sideshows, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
The governor’s plan would add law enforcement units on the ground and in the air, including ones that target illegal activity and stolen vehicles. The CHP will also offer police additional investigative support “to disrupt organized criminal activity and violent street gangs, take illegal guns off the street and prevent gun violence,” the release said.
Police said the number of highway patrols assisting police will depend on CHP staffing levels. In the first operation this past weekend, the Highway Patrol involved between 10 and 14 officers.
“Our community deserves to feel safe and secure, and we are determined to keep that positive momentum going,” said Police Chief Darren Goodman. “This collaboration with the CHP will expand our ongoing efforts to curb violent crime, and we are confident that by working together we can make a lasting impact.”
The program is ongoing and does not yet have a specific end date, police said.
Similar highway patrol operations in Oakland, San Francisco and Bakersfield resulted in more than 3,200 arrests, the recovery of nearly 3,000 stolen vehicles and 170 illegal firearms and drugs, including fentanyl.
Last year, Governor Newsom also gave more than $267 million to 55 local law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute suspects in organized retail theft, resulting in more than 10,000 arrests in nine months. The Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force arrested an additional 3,200 suspects, recovered more than 880,000 stolen items worth more than $46 million and conducted more than 3,000 investigations, the governor’s office said.
Although many crimes in San Bernardino exceed the state average, the city has seen a drop in violent crime over the past year, according to San Bernardino police. Since the same period in 2023, murders are down 33 percent, aggravated assaults are down 17 percent and robberies are down 15 percent, police said.