(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Californians for Public Safety issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s recent announcement highlighting new FBI data:
“It is encouraging to see coordinated efforts resulting in the recovery of tens of millions of dollars in stolen goods and arrests connected to organized theft networks. These actions demonstrate that focused collaboration can disrupt complex criminal operations and deliver real results to communities.
However, focusing solely on retail theft risks overlooking a broader and equally persistent challenge: commercial property crime. This includes burglary, vandalism, cargo theft, arson, and other crimes targeting businesses and industrial properties, offenses that continue to disrupt operations, drive financial losses, and strain local economies across California. These crimes often receive less attention, even as business owners experience near-daily incidents and steadily rising expenses that ripple across entire communities.
At the same time, official crime data does not always capture the full scope of the problem. Property crimes have some of the lowest clearance rates in the state leaving the vast majority of complaints and cases unresolved. In practice, many incidents are never reported at all, as businesses lose confidence that reporting will lead to action or resolution. When crimes go unreported or unsolved, they fall outside official statistics, even as their impacts continue to grow.
This reality underscores a critical point: the data alone does not tell the whole story, and policymakers must engage directly with those most impacted by crime.
Additionally, California must prioritize prevention. Proven tools such as real-time monitoring systems, perimeter detection, and deterrence technologies are already available and working in parts of the state. These strategies stop crimes before they occur, deter repeat offenders, and reduce reliance on a system that, by its own metrics, struggles to resolve most property crimes.
Without a stronger emphasis on prevention, the cycle will persist. Breaking that cycle requires shifting focus upstream and stopping crime before businesses are targeted and losses occur.
Californians for Public Safety will continue to stand with the businesses, workers, and communities that deal with these realities every day. The goal is not to diminish what enforcement has achieved; it is to make sure that achievement does not become a reason to look away. For the business owner who arrived this morning to find a broken window, missing equipment, or a compromised yard, FBI statistics offer little comfort. What they need are practical tools, responsive policy, and leaders who understand that the work is far from finished.”
About Californians for Public Safety
Californians for Public Safety, a coalition of business leaders and citizens, advocates for swift action to enhance public safety. Our mission focuses on streamlining bureaucratic processes for implementing crime prevention technologies, fostering strong relationships between property owners, local government, and police, and promoting cost-effective prevention measures. By prioritizing these pillars, we aim to create a safer California where businesses thrive, communities prosper, and preventative strategies stand as key components of a secure future.