The California Highway Patrol is helping the San Bernardino Police Department tackle a high rate of violent crimes.
Recent data shows the number of homicides in the city is more than three times the state average, according to a news release on the Governor’s Office website. The overall rate for violent crimes is almost twice California’s average.
“We are sending additional CHP support to help local law enforcement aggressively suppress criminal activity and provide this community with a new level of safety and accountability,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the release.
The CHP, whose efforts include recovering stolen vehicles and catching reckless drivers, is adding special law enforcement units on the ground and in the air, the Governor’s Office said.
Additionally, the CHP is providing investigative support to San Bernardino police to disrupt criminal activity and violent street gangs, get illegal guns off the streets, and help prevent gun violence, according to the Governor’s Office.
“This collaboration allows us to share resources, intelligence and expertise, enhancing our ability to reduce crime and create a safer environment for all members of the community,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in the news release.
San Bernardino reports progress before CHP’s help
Before the CHP’s assistance, the city saw a “significant decline in violent crimes,” the San Bernardino Police Department said in a news release on its website.
Murders have been down by 33% this year since 2023, the department said. That follows a 50% decrease from 2022 to 2023.
Aggravated assaults have fallen by 17% from 2023, according to the department. Robberies dropped by 15% from last year.
The goal is to decrease crime further with the CHP’s help and help the community feel safe, San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman said.
“This collaboration with CHP will amplify our ongoing efforts to keep violent crime down, and we are confident that by working together, we can make a lasting impact,” Goodman said in his department’s news release.
California’s statewide effort to fight crime
San Bernardino is the latest city that Newsom has targeted in his statewide efforts to reduce crime. Previous partnerships with the CHP were started in San Francisco, Oakland and Bakersfield.
In late 2023, California provided more than $267 million throughout the state to local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors battling organized retail theft. That resulted in more than 10,000 arrests in nine months for retail, motor vehicle and cargo thefts, according to the Governor’s Office in another news release.
California has invested more than $1.1 billion to fight crime since 2019, the office said.
CHP’s portal on collisions
In other CHP news, the agency has announced an app about collisions. See the video attached to this story.
