California residents in the Bay Area are frustrated with the increasing crime rate and are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to provide assistance while Los Angeles contends with wildfires that have ravaged numerous communities.
As instances of looting escalate in Southern California with communities trying to recover from the aftermath of wildfires, Newsom is proposing that looting in fire evacuation zones should be classified as a felony following a request from prosecutors for stricter penalties.
“Taking advantage of individuals at their most vulnerable is abhorrent; these criminals represent the worst kind,” Newsom remarked in a statement shared with Fox News Digital on Thursday.
Newsom said “looting has never been legal here” and that “it will not be tolerated” as the state continues to battle the ravenous inferno that broke out on Jan. 7.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was recently ripped by critics for describing California as a “national model” for combating homelessness. (California Governor Gavin Newsom YouTube channel)
“Governor Newsom, please help the city of Vallejo! It’s a war zone!” Theresa, another resident wrote.
“Vallejo will become the next Oakland if we don’t stop this now. Please help Vallejo now before it’s too late,” Elaine, another resident, commented.
The petition has received nearly 3,900 signatures.
California Assemblyman James Gallagher said that between the wildfire prevention and response and the crime in Vallejo, this just “highlights the continued failure of leadership by Gavin Newsom.”
“Despite all of his splashy announcements about turning in CHP to help, crime continues to surge and Vallejo is just another community where this issue has reared its ugly head,” Gallagher told Fox News Digital.
Newsom’s office argued that the governor has directed the CHP, in recent months, to “expand its collaborative efforts in Vallejo, working closely with the Vallejo Police Department to enhance public safety.”
“By focusing on areas of mutual concern, the CHP is helping to bolster police presence. Units from the CHP’s Solano Area office are being directed to support city streets when available, reinforcing local efforts,” Newsom’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Additionally, the CHP is coordinating with the Vallejo Police Department to provide assistance for upcoming operations and surges, ensuring a stronger, united approach to keeping the community safe.”
The governor’s office added that while these efforts have improved public safety, “Vallejo’s current staffing challenges present a broader local governance issue, with the need for assistance extending well beyond routine measures.”
“Cities unable to provide police services typically rely on contractual agreements with county sheriffs. This approach has been successfully implemented across the state, including, with more than a dozen jurisdictions in Orange County, offering a proven model for addressing critical public safety needs and gaps.”
Assemblyman David Tangipa, from the Central Valley, echoed Gallagher and said it’s time to fix California.
“California is broken. Let’s fix it together,” he wrote in a post on X.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent – I’m looking for Californians who care about our future.”
San Francisco is also working to curb the crime running rampant in the city.
New San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie promised a worried resident ahead of his tenure that he would clean up the streets after a mayoral election centered on the city’s homelessness, crime and drug overdose problems.
Lurie, Levi Strauss heir and founder of an anti-poverty nonprofit, defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed in November.
He plans to declare a state of emergency over the fentanyl crisis, replenish San Francisco’s police force, and get his employees at City Hall to return to in-person work full-time, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“We are the greatest city in the world when we are at our best,” Lurie said, according to the WSJ. “If I had to place my bet on a city that is going to come back stronger and better than ever, it is our city.”
Newsom’s office said California is at or near 30-year lows for both violent crime and property crime and that Newsom has increased public safety efforts in cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Bakersfield and San Bernardino.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz, Hanna Panreck and Jamie Joesph contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
