Law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing crime in key areas of southern California have led to 6,727 arrests and 4,842 recovered vehicles, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Since its launch in Bakersfield, Oakland, and San Bernardino, the joint effort has also yielded 313 illegal firearms.

In Bakersfield, the increased efforts included aerial suppression units aimed at apprehending fleeing suspects. Following the launch of the California Highway Patrol’s partnership in April 2024, the city experienced notable changes in crime trends.

The joint enforcement operation led to 3,315 arrests, including 680 felony arrests, 1,174 recovered stolen vehicles, and 87 seized firearms.

In Oakland, preliminary data from January 1 to December 22, 2024, showed a 25 percent decrease in robbery, a nearly 50 percent drop in burglary, and a 33 percent decline in motor vehicle theft year-over-year. Since February 2024, officials have made 2,101 arrests, with 1,504 of those felonies, recovered 3,578 stolen vehicles, and confiscated 192 illicit firearms.

In San Bernardino, since the collaborative law enforcement effort began in October 2024, CHP officers have helped clamp down on property theft and violent crime, including gun violence. Officials have arrested 1,311 individuals, including 249 for felony conduct, seized 90 stolen vehicles, and removed 34 illicit firearms.

Special law enforcement units on the ground and in the air, specifically targeting sideshow activities and stolen vehicles using high-tech camera technology, allowed law enforcement agencies to identify vehicle attributes beyond license plate numbers, enabling the CHP, local law enforcement, and other agencies to search for vehicles suspected to be linked to crimes and receive real-time alerts about their movement.

An organized retail theft ring investigation led to the recovery of stolen merchandise valued at more than $779,000.

At the direction of Governor Newsom and through state, county, and city partnerships, the California Highway Patrol began saturating high-crime areas in 2024 to reduce roadway violence and criminal activity.

Crime trends before and after these operations began point to a reduction in crime in Oakland, a decrease in homicides and shootings in Bakersfield, and an increase in arrests and recovered stolen vehicles in San Bernardino, said Governor Newsom.