OAKLAND, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday more California Highway Patrol officers will be temporarily sent to Oakland and the East Bay in response to the rise in crime in the area.
As part of a crime surge operation, 120 officers will be sent to the area to improve public safety. This is a 900% increase in CHP personnel in Oakland and in Alameda County, according to the governor's office. How long these officers will be in the area will be decided in collaboration with local law enforcement.
The officers will work with local agencies on vehicle theft, retail theft and violent crime, according to a release from the governor's office. CHP will use license plate reader technology to identify and recover stolen vehicles. Specialized CHP units will also be part of the operation including K9s and air support.
“As crime rates across California decrease — including right across the Bay in San Francisco — Oakland is seeing the opposite trend. What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable. I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve," Newsom said in a statement.
The mayor of Oakland said the city is working to turn the tide.
“The surge of crime and violence that we are seeing in our streets is completely unacceptable,” Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement.
The announcement comes after In-N-Out closed its first location in its 75-year history in Oakland due to crime. Denny's also closed its Oakland location due to the "safety and well-being of Denny's team members and valued guests," the diner chain said in a statement.
In 2023, Oakland saw a 21% increase in violent crime, a 23% increase in robbery and a 45% increase in vehicle theft, according to the governor's office.
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