California’s Theft Crackdown Operations Netted 10,000 Arrests, More Surges Planned

Hundreds of millions of dollars invested last year are paying dividends, according to the governor.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) swearing in new graduates during a ceremony at the West Sacramento CHP Academy in Sacramento, Calif., on July 13, 2024. Courtesy of California Highway Patrol

California took a bite out of organized retail theft last year, the result of grants awarded to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday.

The grants were distributed in late 2023. In the first nine months of this year, local law enforcement agencies that received grants reported more than 10,000 arrests for theft offenses, according to a statement from the governor’s office on Oct. 28.