Newsom sending 120 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to crack down on ‘alarming’ crime surge

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced he is deploying over 100 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland and the surrounding area plagued by a surging crime wave that has prompted some businesses to close or hire security guards to protect workers.

The law enforcement surge operation will send 120 officers to Oakland and the East Bay to work on a targeted crackdown on criminal activity, including vehicle theft, retail theft and violent crime, Newsom’s office said in a news release.

“As crime rates across California decrease — including right across the Bay in San Francisco — Oakland is seeing the opposite trend,” Newsom said in the release. “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable. I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve.”

The effort marks a 900% increase in state law enforcement personnel in those areas, according to the governor’s office.

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Crime in Oakland is rising at a disproportionate rate compared to other urban centers in California, officials said, noting increases in violent crime, robbery and vehicle theft by 21%, 38% and 45%, respectively, in 2023.

The rampant crime prompted Oakland’s only In-N-Out and Denny’s restaurants to close after years of providing food for the city’s residents.

KAISER TELLS OAKLAND WORKERS TO STAY INSIDE, AVOID EATING OUT OF OFFICE DUE TO CRIME: REPORT

Other businesses, such as Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, has warned its employees to stay inside buildlings for lunch after a string of robberies affected employees who went to eat at local businesses.

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Some businesses have even provided security guards to escort employees to public transportation, parking garages and restaurants.