California recovers $8 million in stolen goods through retail theft crackdown

In the first seven months of 2025, California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, led by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), has made 706 arrests and recovered nearly 150,000 stolen goods valued at about $8 million. The task force conducted 415 investigations during this period.

Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “We are serious about stomping out crime rings that target California’s businesses and undermine public safety. We appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners statewide to apprehend these bad actors.”

The CHP-led task force works with state, local, and federal agencies to address retail crime across California. Since its formation, teams have recovered more than 1.4 million stolen retail items worth almost $60 million and arrested over 4,500 suspects in nearly 4,000 investigations.

“Organized retail crime doesn’t just impact businesses, it threatens the safety and stability of our communities,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “The California Highway Patrol is committed to holding offenders accountable and working with our law enforcement partners across the state to stop these crimes at their source.”

A recent operation in July targeted a group suspected of affecting several retailers in Northern California such as Lululemon, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Alo Yoga, and Victoria’s Secret. Coordination among multiple agencies resulted in four arrests, seizure of an unserialized assault rifle, and recovery of over 1,200 stolen products valued above $92,000. Authorities believe there may be a larger conspiracy involved.

State data shows that major crime categories—including violent crime and property crime—declined in California during 2024. The homicide rate reached its second lowest point since at least 1966; homicides fell by nearly 12% from the previous year. There was also a reported increase of almost two percent in full-time criminal justice personnel between 2023 and 2024.

Vehicle thefts dropped by thirteen percent from 2023 to 2024—the first annual decrease since before the pandemic—with about ninety-two percent of stolen vehicles being recovered statewide.

California has invested $1.7 billion since 2019 into fighting crime and supporting public safety initiatives. In August last year Governor Newsom signed bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen penalties for property crimes such as smash-and-grab robberies and auto burglaries.

Regional operations focusing on vehicle theft suppression have taken place in areas including Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino. These efforts have disrupted organized groups operating throughout Alameda County as well as Kern and San Bernardino counties.