Gov. Gavin Newsom extends CHP presence in Oakland, says city must change pursuit policy

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at an Oakland press conference Friday he's extending the state's law enforcement partnership with the city beyond its initial end-of-the-year deadline, but warned the city's Police Commission must change the Oakland police non-pursuit policy.

In 2023, Newsom responded to a request from then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao to help the city fight rising crime by sending California Highway Patrol officers to patrol Oakland.

In July of this year, Newsom quadrupled the number of CHP shifts worked in Oakland, from 42 to 162 weekly shifts. That came four months after Newsom announced the state was installing 480 Flock surveillance cameras in and around Oakland as part of the state's effort to help combat crime.

The cameras allow investigators to identify vehicles by searching for crime-linked vehicles by vehicle type, make, color, license plate state, missing/covered plates, and other unique features like bumper stickers, decals, and roof racks.

Newsom said the CHP recovered more $13 million in stolen goods and arrested more than 1,400 suspects statewide.

RELATED: Here's why Gov. Newsom is urging Oakland to update strict police pursuit policy

Newsom said Friday the state still has "the city's back" and wants to continue CHP's presence. But he needs to see the city's Police Commission change the city's policy that prevents police from pursuing suspects.

"We're going to extend that commitment, but not for an open-ended period of time," Newsom said. "We're at that point in time that we need to see some commensurate support and reforms and changes as it relates to policing. Here in Oakland, in order to consider extending this state subsidized partnership, we specifically are going to need to see changes in the pursuit policy," he said.

Oakland police officers are only allowed to initiate pursuits when they have a reasonable suspicion a suspect committed a violent crime or has a gun.

Newsom said he's heard stories of CHP officers -- who aren't subject to the pursuit policy -- catching suspects who "were shocked that they were actually pulled over because in the past, presumably, they had not been."

Newsom said there have been instances where drunk and reckless drivers have presumably escaped police because of the policy, "someone that literally puts people's lives at risk, that occurs right in front of an officer in a vehicle, that officer cannot under this extreme pursuit policy here in Oakland."

RELATED: Oakland PD's inaccurate crime reporting leads to questions about what's going on in city

Newsom said he wrote letters to the former mayor, the Oakland City Council and the city's Police Commission, asking the commission to explore changing the decade-old policy at its September meeting. The commission chose not to.

Supporters of the policy say police pursuits put the public at risk, a point Newsom acknowledged. But he said the danger can be mitigated by putting best practices used across the nation in play to cut down the risks.

He said CHP's deployment in Oakland has been "extremely successful." And, with the recall of Thao and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in November, "the voters have spoken."

An email sent to the Oakland Police Commission wasn't immediately returned Friday.

Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins said at the press conference the police chief is developing a new policy for Police Commission review, which the commission has 120 days to review. If it takes no action, it goes to the City Council for a decision.

RELATED: Gov. Newsom says CHP expanding patrols to reduce crime in Oakland

Newsom said he wants a decision "now," and suggested the commission call a special meeting immediately to decide.

City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, who's currently serving as Oakland interim mayor, released a statement during Newsom's press conference, thanking him for his leadership on the issue.

"Over the past year, Oakland has dramatically reduced crime in all categories with an overall reduction of 34%," she said.

"CHP's sustained presence in Oakland allows OPD to focus resources on responding to calls for service and addressing violent crime through our intelligence-based Ceasefire strategy. We greatly appreciate the CHP's targeted enforcement of traffic violations, auto-theft, sideshows, and seizure of illegal guns and look forward to continuing this important partnership in 2025," Bas said.