One year after launch, state’s enhanced enforcement in Oakland recovers 3,217 stolen vehicles, arrests 1,823 suspects

News

Apr 3, 2025

What you need to know: Since March 2024, Governor Newsom's joint Bay Area operation efforts have yielded 3,217 stolen vehicles recovered, 1,823 suspects arrested, and 170 illicit firearms seized.

Sacramento, California - Continuing to provide collaborative public safety enforcement in the Bay Area, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the ongoing joint law enforcement operationin the Bay Area has resulted in recovering 3,217 stolen vehicles, arresting 1,823 individuals, and confiscating 170 illicit firearms since the operation's launch in February 2024.

Month after month, officers have worked hand-in-hand with their local counterparts across the Bay Area to protect our communities from bad actors. I'm proud of the CHP's diligent work to get dangerous guns off our streets and recover stolen vehicles.

Governor Gavin Newsom

In 2025 alone, officers have made 398 arrests, recovered 614 stolen cars, and seized 30 firearms. The enhanced operation in the region places additional California Highway Patrol (CHP) personnel to help take down property theft and violent crime, including gunviolence. The CHP's operation adds special law enforcement units on the ground and in the air - targeting sideshow activities and stolen vehicles.

CHP's support in Oakland began in February 2024. In July 2024, Governor Newsom announced an additional surge, quadrupling the number of shifts CHP officers worked in the region. This was in addition to the installation of a network of 480 high-tech cameras in the East Bay, which includes 190 on state highways and 290 in the city of Oakland. This camera network allows law enforcement agencies to identify vehicle attributes beyond license plate numbers, enabling the CHP, local law enforcement, and allied agencies to search for vehicles suspected to be linked to crimes and receive real-time alerts about their movement.

Overall, the cameras have aided law enforcement in numerous investigations and, most recently, led to the arrest of a road rage shooting suspect in March 2025in San Bernardino.

Stronger enforcement. Serious penalties. Real consequences.

Through a state, county, and city partnership, the CHP saturates high-crime areas, aiming to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity in the area, specifically vehicle theft and organized retail crime. The Newsom administration has provided similar CHP support to regional crime hot spots throughout California, including Bakersfieldand San Bernardino.

In August, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history.Building on the state's robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills establish tough new penalties for repeat offenders, provide additional tools for felony prosecutions, and crack down on serial shoplifters, retail thieves, and auto burglars.

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 Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-everinvestment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310%increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations acrossthe state to fight crime and improve public safety.

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