Newsom Announces CHP Teams To Be Deployed Across CA, Including San Diego

SAN DIEG, CA — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that California Highway Patrol crime suppression teams will be deployed to major cities and regions across the state -- including San Diego -- where they will work with local law enforcement agencies as part of ongoing efforts to reduce crime statewide.

Newsom said the deployments are an expansion of CHP efforts that the governor said have led to significant crime reductions over the past year in Bakersfield, Oakland and San Bernardino.

The governor's announcement highlighted that these new enforcement efforts will take place in San Diego, as well as Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Central Valley, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area regions.

Crime suppression teams "will saturate high-crime areas, target repeat offenders and seize illicit weapons and narcotics," the governor's office said.

"When the state and local communities work together strategically, public safety improves," Newsom said in a statement. "While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them -- and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we're doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down."

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement, "San Diego is already one of the safest big cities in the country, with crime going down steadily over the past three years -- the result of the hard work and appropriate resourcing of our local law enforcement. I welcome Governor Newsom's decision to send more resources to cities like ours to build on our success and crack down on crimes like retail theft and auto theft that hurt our families, small businesses and neighborhoods."

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office issued a statement saying, "In San Diego County, we have exceptional regional coordination and collaboration among the local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement agencies. We anticipate having additional resources from the California Highway Patrol will augment what we are already doing to keep our communities safe. The sheriff and CHP leadership have been in discussion regarding ways in which we can best leverage each other's resources to ensure the highest quality public service to our communities."

SDPD spokesperson Lt. Travis Easter declined to comment on the announcement.

The governor's office said the crime suppression teams will:

-- Identify and suppress criminal activity in high-crime areas through data and intelligence-led policing;

-- Conduct proactive enforcement operations designed to deter and disrupt organized crime;

-- Provide increased CHP visibility and presence in communities most impacted by crime;

-- Support local law enforcement by sharing intelligence, coordinating enforcement, and assisting with investigations; and

-- Maintain strict accountability through structured leadership, clear reporting and operational oversight.

"These crime suppression teams will provide critical support to our local partners by focusing on crime where it happens most," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. "By combining resources, intelligence, and personnel, we can better disrupt criminal activity and strengthen the safety and security of communities across California."

— City News Service