Governor Gavin Newsom visited the California Highway Patrol Academy to meet with cadets preparing to graduate this fall, highlighting the state's continued investment in the highway patrol and crime reduction efforts.
Nearly 400 cadets are set to graduate from the academy this year, bringing the total number of CHP cadets to graduate since Newsom took office to more than 2,900. In 2022, the governor launched a CHP recruitment campaign to hire 1,000 additional highway patrol officers, and by 2024, that goal had been met.
The investment in CHP is part of California's broader state-local public safety strategy that includes adding capacity to local departments, strengthening investigations and targeting people and networks driving crime. The highway patrol's role has expanded under Newsom, with officers and investigators working closely with local partners on auto theft, organized crime, illegal firearms and other threats to communities.
One example is the CHP Crime Suppression Team model, which began with targeted deployments in communities facing significant public safety challenges. One year ago, Newsom expanded the model to six regions across California.
The state-local approach is producing measurable results, according to state data. In 2025, every major crime category declined, including homicide, robbery, property crime, motor vehicle theft and violent crime. California's homicide rate fell to 3.5 per 100,000, the lowest rate since statewide reporting began in 1966.