Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced he will be deploying new California Highway Patrol teams dedicated to crime suppression in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in areas including Los Angeles, San Diego, the Inland Empire and Sacramento, among others.
The effort builds on "successful" CHP efforts already underway in Oakland, Bakersfield and San Bernardino, according to the governor's office. CHP officers assigned to these Crime Suppression Teams are expected to saturate high-crime areas, target repeat offenders and seize illicit weapons and narcotics.
"When the state and local communities work together strategically, public safety improves," Newsom said in a statement. "While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them — and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we're doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down."
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the deployments.
SDPD spokesperson Lt. Travis Easter declined to comment on the announcement.
CHP teams are expected to operate in the following:
- Identify and suppress criminal activity in high-crime areas through data and intelligence-led policing;
- Conduct proactive enforcement operations designed to deter and disrupt organized crime;
- Provided increased CHP visibility and presence in communities most impacted by crime;
- Support local law enforcement by sharing intelligence, coordinating enforcement, and assisting with investigations; and
- Maintain strict accountability through structured leadership, clear reporting and operational oversight.
"These crime suppression teams will provide critical support to our local partners by focusing on crime where it happens most," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. "By combining resources, intelligence, and personnel, we can better disrupt criminal activity and strengthen the safety and security of communities across California."
These Crime Suppression Teams in Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland resulted in more than 9,000 arrests, recovered 5,800 stolen vehicles and confiscated more than 400 firearms, according to the governor's office.
In Bakersfield, since April 2024, the partnership resulted in 859 felony arrests, 721 misdemeanor arrests, 2,654 DUI arrests, 1,386 stolen vehicles recovered and 114 firearms seized. The city's 2024 crime rates were the lowest since 2021, with a 57% decline in homicides and 60% fewer shootings.
In Oakland, by late 2024, crime stood at an overall 34% decrease year-over-year. CHP teams were deployed to the city in February of that year. Since October 2024, the partnership with San Bernardino resulted in 357 felony arrests, 1,627 misdemeanor arrests, 170 DUI arrests, 145 stolen vehicles recovered, and 82 illegal firearms recovered.
Homicide rates, among other crime categories, rose and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, starting in 2019. However, in the following years, as a result of public safety investments, those figures have steadily decreased, according to data from the California Department of Justice.
Preliminary data for the first six months of 2025 have indicated that overall violent crime is down 12.5% compared to 2024.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association has reported a 20% drop in homicides and 19% decrease in robberies in the state so far in 2025.
The largest overall declines in violent crime were reported by the police departments in Oakland (30%) and San Francisco (22%).
