SACRAMENTO, CA — More than 33,000 stolen items valued at $3.3 million have been recovered by California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force since the start of 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday. The crackdown comes as major crime is falling statewide, according to the governor.
Newsom also said crime is down in every major city in the state, citing recent statistics comparing 2025 crime rates to 2024 which indicate a 19.3 percent drop in homicides, and a 19.8% decline in robberies. Reported rapes were also down by 8.8 percent, as well as aggravated assaults by 9.7 percent, according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Oakland and San Francisco have experienced the sharpest declines in crime, falling by 25 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
Since 2019, the state has invested $2.1 billion to fight crime, hire more local police personnel, and improve public safety, Newsom said.
Newsom established the task force in 2019 to align local law enforcement, district attorneys, and retailers amid a rash of flash mob retail thefts. The recent operation was spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol. As part of the operation, 75 investigations were conducted and 33 people were arrested, Newsom said.
“Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime, it drives up costs for families, harms small businesses, and threatens workers. That’s why we created the Organized Retail Crime Task Force and continue to strengthen it. Our proactive enforcement efforts are making a real difference, holding criminal networks accountable and helping keep our communities safe,” Newsom said.
To date, the task force has led to the recovery of nearly 1.6 stolen items valued at more than $73 million, as well as 5,061 arrests by partner law enforcement agencies.
“For more than six years, the California Highway Patrol has invested significant resources into combating organized retail crime, and our commitment has only grown stronger,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.