What you need to know: The ongoing enforcement collaboration between the California Highway Patrol and the Bakersfield Police Department continues to yield measurable results. Governor Gavin Newsom today reported the collaborative effort has resulted in 1,026 arrests, 448 recovered stolen vehicles, and the seizure of 20 crime-linked firearms. 

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom’s strategy to improve public safety in the Central Valley through a crime suppression partnership with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Bakersfield Police Department continues to produce results. Governor Newsom announced the partnership in April, and to date, the operation has resulted in 1,026 arrests, 448 recovered stolen vehicles, and the seizure of 20 crime-linked firearms. In July, the teams arrested 321 suspects, a 55% increase from the previous month and the highest month to date since the operation began. 

“We’re continuing our collaborative efforts to provide the residents of the Central Valley with the safety and security that they deserve. I thank the CHP and our law enforcement partners for their ongoing work to take down organized criminal activity and secure justice for this community. We remain committed to working in Bakersfield and across the state to further reduce criminal activity and make our neighborhoods safer.” - Governor Gavin Newsom

Kern County has higher rates of property crime, violent crime, and arrests compared to the statewide average. In April, Governor Newsom launched a coordinated enforcement effort in Bakersfield to continue improving public safety, address roadway violence, and stop criminal activity. Through a state and city partnership, the CHP saturates high-crime areas of mutual interest, aiming to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity in the area, specifically vehicle theft and organized retail crime. 

Governor Newsom is now expanding this effort, with a new partnership with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office to collaborate on dismantling criminal networks driving retail theft, car thefts, and violent crimes in Kern County communities. 

“The California Highway Patrol has a great working relationship with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and we are thrilled to welcome them to our ongoing crime suppression operation with the Bakersfield Police Department,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “This collaboration underscores the strength in numbers and highlights our shared commitment to making the community safer. Together, we can more effectively address and combat crime, ensuring a more secure environment for everyone.”

Previously, through the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program, the state awarded the Bakersfield Police Department $6.2 million to specifically prevent and respond to organized retail theft, motor vehicle and motor vehicle accessory theft, and cargo theft. The statewide grant program is the largest single investment to combat organized retail crime in state history. 

Today’s announcement builds on Governor Newsom’s efforts to improve public safety in key parts of California, including Oakland and San Francisco. Since January 2024, the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has made 717 arrests and recovered more than a quarter of a million stolen goods valued at over $6.8 million. California has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Real Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.