California: Governor Newsom quickly finalizes agreement to speed up prosecutions in Alameda County
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Aug 2, 2024

Governor Newsom quickly finalizes agreement to speed up prosecutions in Alameda County

What you need to know: State officials swiftly finalized a memorandum of understanding with the California Department of Justice, enabling California National Guard attorneys to prosecute cases originating in Alameda County. The agreement  — which took just two weeks to be finalized — comes following a nearly five-month attempt to formalize a similar agreement offered to the county District Attorney.

SACRAMENTO — Building on the state's efforts to crack down on crime in the East Bay, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that the California National Guard's (CalGuard) Counterdrug Task Force has finalized a memorandum of understanding with the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) to allow CalGuard prosecutors to begin handling cases originating in Alameda County. The agreement is modeled after a successful partnership established in San Francisco with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, which has helped boost felony narcotics convictions in San Francisco.

Today's announcement follows the Governor's redeployment of the state resources from the Alameda County District Attorney's office, after local officials were unable to finalize a similar agreement, first proposed in February, 2024.

"Today we're advancing accountability and justice for East Bay communities, by quickly securing an agreement to provide additional resources to prosecute criminal behavior. I am grateful for the quick work here by the Attorney General and the California National Guard to swiftly finalize this agreement so these talented attorneys can soon help secure justice for the people of the Bay Area."

Governor Gavin Newsom

With the agreement in place, local and state law enforcement officials are wasting no time in collaborating to tackle violent and organized crime in Alameda County. On July 31, representatives from the CHP, CA DOJ, and CalGuard met with local law enforcement partners to discuss the opportunities presented by the agreement and plan upcoming operations and cases.

This follows the Governor's recent announcement that he would quadruple the number of shifts CHP officers conduct in Oakland and increase ongoing surge operations over four months beginning in July. In the first six months of the operation, CHP officers arrested 562 suspects, recovered 1,142 stolen cars, and seized 55 guns connected to crimes.

"I am proud to stand with the Oakland community, Governor Newsom, CalGuard and law enforcement partners as we hold accountable those who perpetuate crime in our communities," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "The East Bay is my home and I am committed to ensuring that Oakland is a safe place for all families to work, live, and grow. The California Department of Justice is committing our legal and law enforcement expertise to this collaborative public safety effort, and we look forward to working with our CalGuard partners as we tackle complex, multijurisdictional cases and keep our communities safe."

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"The California National Guard is appreciative of California Department of Justice leadership on this effort and looks forward to supporting DOJ on the prosecution of narcotics cases originating in Alameda County," said CalGuard Major General Matt Beevers.

How we got here

Today's announcement builds on Governor Newsom's strategy to improve public safety in the East Bay and the surrounding area, including through an initial CHP surge operation in February and ongoing increased enforcement focused on combating auto theft, cargo theft, retail crime, violent crime, and high-visibility traffic enforcement.

Investing in Oakland

Earlier this year the Governor released Caltrans' 10-Point Action Plan in support of the city's efforts to improve street safety and beautification. The comprehensive plan outlines actionable steps the state is taking to further support the city through blight abatement efforts, homeless encampment resolutions, community outreach initiatives, employment opportunities, and other beautification and safety efforts. A detailed overview of the state's investments in Oakland and Alameda County is available here.

Fighting crime

California has invested over $1.1 billion to fund resources and personnel to fight crime, help locals hire more police, and improve public safety since 2019. Earlier this year, Governor Newsom called for new legislation to expand criminal penalties and bolster police and prosecutorial tools to combat theft and take down professional criminals who profit from smash and grabs, retail theft, and car burglaries. In 2023, as part of California's Real Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.

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