By Kapish Kalita
SACRAMENTO, CA – California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), led by the California Highway Patrol, “maintained high levels of enforcement in August and is well on its way to surpassing enforcement totals from 2023.”
The governor’s press office said the task force “facilitated 171 arrests… recovered 26,415 items of stolen property worth about $547,000” and exceeded the total number of investigations “completed in the entirety of 2023.”
Newsom’s press office added, “ORCTF has facilitated 1,055 arrests, 573 investigations, and recovered over $7.8 million worth of stolen goods” and, since 2019, the “CHP has been involved in nearly 3,000 investigations, leading to the arrest of more than 3,100 suspects and the recovery of over 878,000 stolen goods valued at nearly $46 million.”
The efforts of ORCTF and the CHP’s were “part of Gov. Newsom’s comprehensive approach to combat organized retail crime” — Newsom has provided “$267 million to 55 local law enforcement agencies…enabling cities and counties to hire more police, make more arrests, and secure more felony charges against suspects.”
Newsom’s efforts to combat retail theft are part of his larger efforts to combat crime, his office said, noting that since 2019 he has invested “1.1 billion…to fight crime.”
Newsom’s press office added the announcement of ORCTF’s and the CHP’s success demonstrates the success of the governor’s investments, helping ensure “perpetrators are held accountable and getting guns and drugs off our streets.”
Newsom praised the CHP, noting its “tireless efforts to crack down on organized crime continue to yield results” helping “protect California’s businesses and communities while holding criminals to account.”
