SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Gov. Gavin Newsom is expanding the state’s law enforcement presence across California to crack down on crime.
Newsom announced Thursday that more “crime suppression” California Highway Patrol teams will head to six regions across the state, including the Bay Area.
Among the Bay Area cities, San Francisco and Oakland are included in the plan.
Newsom says this will build upon the massive effort that’s already underway around the state.
The governor touted previous efforts with CHP, assisting local law enforcement like in Oakland and San Francisco, where highway patrol officers have been working to help crackdown on fentanyl, carjackings, armed robberies and more.
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“We’re gonna be expanding this operation. Building on the success that has now included over 9,000 arrests statewide,” Newsom said.
Since that time, the crime suppression program has been expanded to other areas in the bay like Oakland, where more than 4,000 stolen cars have been recovered to date.
Now, six of the eight CHP districts across the state of California will have crime suppression programs.
CHP tells us there won’t be huge changes here in the Bay Area because the program is already running, with a focus on Oakland and Vallejo.
But other cities could be added.
Former Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe requested the help of CHP and other outside agencies last fall to deal with a series of shootings.
“One agency has taken us up on that offer,” said Thorpe at the time.
Antioch Police Chief Joe Vigil tells us it was around that time that CHP’s team began also working with them, saying they have been very “impactful and helpful.”
A thought echoed by at least one council member in Vallejo as well.
That council member Alex Matias says, “We have definitely seen increased CHP presence in our community, and it has successfully complemented other measures we have recently taken to improve public safety in Vallejo.”
Keep in mind though, CHP is still short hundreds of officers, but they do tell us they have improved in that area by bringing more people on board.
But it comes as Pres. Donald Trump is also deploying National Guard troops into U.S. cities to deal with crime and Newsom is trying to draw a contrast.
Newsom announced the escalation in an anti-crime state and local partnership on Thursday.
“Success is not a place or a definition. Success is the direction. There is no having it as relates to the issue of crime suppression,” Newsom said.
California Highway Patrol officers will surge their presence in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego, Central Valley and more. Their operations will be unannounced, acting on data-driven intelligence on crime.
MORE: Gov. Gavin Newsom extends CHP presence in Oakland, says city must change pursuit policy
“These crime suppression teams will provide critical support to our local partners by focusing on crime where it happens most. By combining resources, intelligence and personnel, we can better disrupt criminal activity and strengthen the safety and security of communities across California,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.
It comes weeks after President Donald Trump sent the National Guard to combat crime in the nation’s capital, threatening to send troops into other blue cities.
REPORTER: “Is this part of a response to prevent that happening?”
“We’re not reacting to, responding anything. Quite the contrary. With one caveat: the community wants to see more. And, we are trying to be responsive to the people we serve,” Newsom said. “As it relates to the president in particular, he’s doing things to people, not with people.”
“Rather than coming across as someone who doesn’t think crime is a problem, he’s trying to outmaneuver Donald Trump,” said Dan Schnur, political professor at UC Berkeley and USC.
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Political experts say Newsom is walking a fine line.
“Trump understands that sending in troops puts most Democrats in a difficult position. Do they agree with what the president’s doing, or do they sound like they’re defending the status quo?” Schnur said. “Gavin Newsom is smart enough to know that statistics aren’t nearly as powerful a message as National Guard troops. He recognizes he has to send a much more tangible signal as well.”
There are still National Guard troops in Los Angeles after June’s immigration protests. Newsom sued over Trump’s deployment, and a forthcoming judicial ruling could set a precedent going forward.
“So, the stakes of the case are tremendous, but until there’s a verdict, it doesn’t do Newsom very much good politically at all,” Schnur said.
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