On Feb. 6, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, revealed a plan to dispatch 120 additional California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers to Oakland and the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The initiative aims to combat crimes like carjacking, retail theft, and violence.
According to Newsom’s office, the influx of officers will mark a nine-fold increase in the number of state police patrolling the region. The officers’ primary focus will be on Oakland, which has seen a significant spike in violent crime.
Newsom expressed his concern in a statement, saying, “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.”
“The surge of crime and violence that we are seeing in our streets is completely unacceptable,” said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “As we work to improve public safety, I’m grateful for Governor Newsom for providing these critical law enforcement resources that are a game-changer in helping us hold more criminals accountable and make Oakland safer.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, reports of violent incidents in Oakland rose by 21 percent last year compared to 2022. The numbers for robberies increased by 38 percent and burglaries rose by 23 percent.
