The California Organized Retail Crime Task Force has intensified its operations, reporting 171 arrests and recovering $547,000 in stolen merchandise for August 2024. Governor Gavin Newsom announced these figures, highlighting that the task force has made over 1,000 arrests this year, totaling $7. 8 million in recovered goods. The task force, led by the California Highway Patrol, has conducted 573 investigations in 2024, already surpassing the total for the previous year. Newsom praised the team's efforts, stating, "Month after month, the CHP’s tireless efforts to crack down on organized crime continue to yield results.

" To further combat retail theft, Newsom signed new legislation that increases penalties for large-scale thefts, known as "smash and grabs. " The law, AB 1960, extends jail time for thefts based on their value, adding up to four additional years for losses exceeding $3 million. Furthermore, the legislation permits the value of property damage during theft to be included in the total loss calculation. Since its establishment in 2019, the task force has made over 3,100 arrests and recovered nearly $46 million in merchandise.