A two-week law enforcement “surge” operation in San Bernardino County resulted in dozens of arrests and the recovery of several illegal guns and stolen vehicles, officials announced Wednesday.
The surge operation, conducted by the California Highway Patrol, led to 64 arrests, the recovery of 11 stolen vehicles, and the seizure of five illegal firearms.
Surge operations like this one in the city of San Bernardino are meant to curb crime with the help of local law enforcement and additional support from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
“In just two weeks, the CHP surge in San Bernardino has taken aggressive action to arrest over 60 criminal suspects and take illegal firearms off the streets,” said Newsom. “I am encouraged by the quick progress we’ve seen.”
San Bernardino has one of the highest violent crime rates in the state, with its homicide rate over three times the statewide average, state officials said. The city also struggles with elevated rates of vehicle theft and traffic violations like street takeovers which endanger the public.
On Nov. 9, CHP officers assisted the San Bernardino Police Department in arresting a suspect involved in a stabbing. The following day, CHP helped apprehend a suspect in a home invasion, that ended in a high-speed pursuit.
The San Bernardino operation is part of CHP’s statewide efforts to support local police, which have resulted in more than 3,400 arrests and the recovery of over 3,000 stolen vehicles across California, Newsom’s office says. The surges are designed to reduce property crime, gun violence and street takeovers.
“We appreciate the recently formed partnership between the California Highway Patrol and the City of San Bernardino Police Department,” said San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran. “This collaboration has demonstrated successful results to make our community safer.”
