SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has recovered nearly $8 million in stolen goods and arrested more than 700 suspects in the past seven months, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, underscoring the state’s aggressive push to combat organized retail theft.
“We are serious about stomping out crime rings that target California’s businesses and undermine public safety,” Newsom said in a press release. “We appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners statewide to apprehend these bad actors.”
Led by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the task force works with state, local and federal partners to protect retailers and communities from coordinated theft rings, according to the release.
Since its inception, the task force has recovered more than 1.4 million stolen assets valued at about $60 million and arrested over 4,000 suspects in retail-related crimes.
“Organized retail crime doesn’t just impact businesses, it threatens the safety of our communities,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.
“The California Highway Patrol is committed to holding offenders accountable and working with our law enforcement partners across the state to stop these crimes at their source,” Duryee said in the release.
The announcement highlighted an ongoing investigation tied to a July operation in which the task force dismantled a crew accused of stealing from Northern California retailers, including Lululemon, Abercrombie and Alo Yoga. Working with the Sacramento and Roseville police departments, the operation led to four arrests, the seizure of an assault rifle, and the recovery of more than 1,200 stolen products valued at nearly $100,000.
The news comes amid broader declines in California’s crime rates. According to California Department of Justice data, 2024 saw drops in nearly every major crime category, including homicide, aggravated assault, property crime and robbery. The state’s burglary rate had the largest decrease among all categories since 2019, down 18.8% by 2024.
The homicide rate in 2024 was at its second-lowest point since 1966, with a 12% decline from 2023. Vehicle thefts also fell by 13%, and more than 90% of stolen vehicles — including cars, trucks and SUVs — were recovered.
The governor’s office credited the trends to enforcement initiatives and public safety investments. Since 2019, California has allocated more than $1.7 billion toward crime prevention, law enforcement recruitment and new technologies to reduce and respond to public safety threats.
Newsom’s 2023 Public Safety Plan included the largest investment in state history to fight organized retail crime, with a 310% increase in proactive operations and multiple special operations across California.
In August 2024, Newsom signed legislation his office called “the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history.” The laws gave law enforcement new tools to target suspects in smash-and-grab robberies, property crimes and retail theft while reinforcing existing statutes.
The governor has also expanded CHP-led operations in high-theft areas such as Oakland, Bakersfield and San Bernardino. His office said those partnerships with local agencies have already shown results, with retail crime rates reportedly falling in Alameda, Kern and San Bernardino counties.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about overreach.
James Burch, spokesperson for the Anti Police-Terror Project, said the approach misses the root causes of crime and that cities like Oakland should focus more on community violence-prevention programs.
“We need to figure out how to support small businesses, especially those getting broken into, and we need to stop the flow of gun violence on our streets,” Burch said. “We don’t see CHP having the skills, the experience, the technical know-how to address these issues.”
As crime rates decline, Newsom’s office is continuing to expand law enforcement operations — drawing praise for its results and criticism for its methods.
