Newsom Pushes Oakland on Police Chases Amid Deadly CA Pursuit Spike

OAKLAND, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an ultimatum to Oakland officials this week, demanding changes to the Oakland Police Department's restrictive pursuit policy or risk losing California Highway Patrol support in the city's ongoing crime surge operation. The policy, an outlier in the state, limits chases to violent crimes or armed suspects, a restriction Newsom called extreme during a news conference announcing the CHP operation's extension targeting retail and vehicle thefts. The partnership has yielded 1,400 arrests and $13 million in recovered stolen goods this year, but Newsom warned the aid is not indefinite.[1] The pressure follows a February crash in Oakland that hospitalized several bystanders, underscoring the perils of pursuits: at least 30% involve collisions, with nearly one-fifth causing injuries or deaths, per a federally funded study. California logged nearly 12,000 pursuits in 2022, injuring more than 400 bystanders and killing 34 people, including five uninvolved civilians. Oakland tightened its rules in December 2022 after three pursuit-related deaths over two years, slashing chases from 130 in 2022 to 38 in the first seven months of 2024, though injuries to suspects and bystanders held steady.[3] In Southern California, the dangers persist: two recent chases there ended in suspect deaths and crashes, coinciding with Assemblymember Laura Friedman's introduction of the Next Gen Road Safety Act on April 9, 2026. The bipartisan bill expands federal COPS grants for agencies to acquire drones, vehicle-disabling systems and police bumper tech — tools used in fewer than 6% of pursuits today. Burbank Police Chief Rafael Quintero hailed drones' flexibility for hard-to-reach areas, as Friedman stressed officers lack modern gear to avert accidents.[2] State law since Senate Bill 719 in 2006 mandates pursuit policies and training, granting civil immunity under Vehicle Code §17004.7, yet local variations fuel the reform push. Oakland voters expanded pursuits last year to include suspected felonies or violent misdemeanors, but Newsom's intervention highlights competing priorities: public safety versus crime crackdowns in California's most volatile cities.[4][6]