Newsom increasing efforts to combat retail theft ahead of holiday season

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION-TV): California Governor Gavin Newsom will be increasing efforts to tackle retail theft during the holiday season.

During the holiday season, Newsom said that the CHP officers will increase their presence at shopping centers throughout the state as part of their Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

"Shopping centers across California will see saturated patrols as CHP regional teams work with local law enforcement agencies to help make arrests and recover stolen merchandise," Newsom said in a statement.

The task force was started in 2019. CHP says their task force has been involved in 1,296 investigations which has led to the arrest of 645 suspects.

The task force has recovered 271,697 stolen retail items worth nearly $26 million.

"The CHP is dedicated to ensuring everyone is safe during this holiday shopping season," Commissioner Amanda Ray said. "We are working hard to combat organized retail crime and deter organized theft rings."