close
close

Violent crime rates in San Bernardino prompt CHP to help

play

The California Highway Patrol assists the San Bernardino Police Department in combating high rates of violent crime.

Current data shows the city's homicide rate is more than three times the state average, according to a news release on the governor's office website. The overall violent crime rate is nearly twice the California average.

“We are sending additional CHP support to help local law enforcement aggressively suppress criminal activity and provide a new level of safety and accountability to this community,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the news release.

The CHP, whose mission includes recovering stolen vehicles and arresting reckless drivers, is establishing special law enforcement units on the ground and in the air, the governor's office said.

In addition, the CHP provides investigative support to the San Bernardino Police Department to disrupt criminal activity and violent street gangs, remove illegal weapons from the streets and prevent gun violence, according to the governor's office.

“This collaboration allows us to share resources, information and expertise, improving our ability to reduce crime and create a safer environment for all members of the community,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in the release.

San Bernardino reports progress prior to CHP assistance

Before the CHP's assistance, the city saw a “significant decrease in violent crime,” San Bernardino police said in a news release on its website.

The number of murders this year has fallen by 33% since 2023, the ministry said. This follows a 50% decline from 2022 to 2023.

According to the ministry, serious assaults have fallen by 17% since 2023. The number of robberies has fallen by 15% compared to the previous year.

The goal is to further reduce crime with the help of the CHP and make the community feel safe, said San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman.

“This collaboration with CHP will strengthen our ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime, and we are confident that by working together we can have a lasting impact,” Goodman said in his department’s news release.

California's statewide crime reduction efforts

San Bernardino is the latest city Newsom has targeted as part of his nationwide effort to reduce crime. Previous partnerships with CHP were initiated in San Francisco, Oakland and Bakersfield.

At the end of 2023, California provided more than $267 million statewide to local law enforcement and prosecutors fighting organized retail theft. There were more than 10,000 arrests for retail, motor vehicle and cargo theft in nine months, according to another news release from the governor's office.

California has invested more than $1.1 billion in fighting crime since 2019, the office said.

CHP portal on collisions

In other CHP news, the agency announced a collision-related app. Watch the video attached to this story.

You may also like...