State partnership with local officials helping take down criminal activity in Bakersfield

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Governor Newsom’s ongoing collaborative enforcement effort in Bakersfield continues to improve public safety and reduce crime – with 302 arrests and 182 stolen vehicles recovered in the area in just two months.

BAKERSFIELD - Eight weeks after Governor Gavin Newsom launched a localized enforcement effort between the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Bakersfield Police Department to address crime, results continue to show positive progress in the region - including the arrest of 302 individuals for illegal activity and the recovery of 182 stolen vehicles.

We are working together with local partners throughout California to make our communities safe and secure. Through this collaboration between the CHP and the Bakersfield Police Department, we continue to deliver measurable results and make Bakersfield’s streets safer. - Governor Gavin Newsom

“Protecting the safety of our communities in Bakersfield is a top priority,” said Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh. “I am thankful to Governor Newsom and the CHP for the already positive enforcement results while working with our local law enforcement to take down crime in the area.”

The CHP’s efforts in the region include day-to-day enforcement and comprehensive law enforcement operations. On May 1, the Bakersfield Police Department and the CHP conducted a one-day traffic enforcement and crime suppression operation, which resulted in 59 issued citations, 14 impounded vehicles, seven recovered stolen vehicles, and six individuals arrested – three felony arrests, one misdemeanor DUI, and two additional misdemeanor arrests.

“Law enforcement working together has proven to disrupt criminal activity,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “The CHP is committed to collaborating with local law enforcement partners, like the Bakersfield Police Department, to combat crime and safeguard California’s communities.”

In support of personnel from the Bakersfield Police Department, the CHP has deployed officers from the local area offices and investigators from the CHP’s Central Division.

Kern County has higher rates of violent crime, property crime, and arrest rates (felony and misdemeanor) compared to the statewide average. The collaboration between the Bakersfield Police Department and the CHP is reducing criminal activity in the region, with a focus on vehicle theft and organized crime.

This localized work in Bakersfield is part of a larger effort to bring continued resources to the area. In particular, through the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program, the state awarded the Bakersfield Police Department $6.2 million to prevent and respond to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessory theft, and cargo theft. The statewide grant program is the largest single investment to combat organized retail crime in state history.

Building on the Newsom Administration’s efforts to improve public safety in key parts of California, including Oakland and San Francisco, the state continues to make significant steps to ensure the safety of local communities. Through the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, since January 2024, the state has conducted 220 investigations, leading to 541 arrests and the recovery of more than 185,000 stolen goods valued at $4.6 million.

HOW WE GOT HERE:

California has invested resources and personnel since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Real Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.