SACRAMENTO, CA – California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week announced in a statement “progress” by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) that has made record numbers of investigations and arrests, as well as recovering $7.2 million in stolen goods in 2024 alone.
The statement states that in July, the ORCTF conducted 128 investigations which led to the arrests of 167 individuals, which is more than double the arrests of the previous month.
The CHP is part of California’s new measures to address property crime and additional police funding to local communities. Since its establishment in 2019, the CHP has arrested 2,900 suspects and has recovered $45 million in stolen assets, the governor claims.
Thought to be connected to the record increases in arrests is the investment of $1.1 billion since 2019 by Gov. Newsom into hiring more police and fighting crime. In the last year alone, Newsom said he distributed $267 million to 55 local communities, included in the governor’s Real Public Safety Plan, the press release notes.
California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee said, “Our relentless pursuit of organized retail crime continues to yield significant results, month after month.”
Gov. Newsom said, “The state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force is…demonstrating a continued commitment to enforcing public safety and protecting our communities. I’d like to thank the dedicated officers of the California Highway Patrol for their diligent work enforcing our laws and holding criminals accountable.”
