Vehicle thefts down almost 25% across California

Police and sheriff's departments are doing a great job, said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, president of the California State Sheriffs Association.

Bianco, a former gubernatorial candidate, attributed the decrease in vehicle thefts to local law enforcement initiatives, threats of consequences for criminals, surveillance cameras and built-in technologies by car manufacturers, including advanced keys. 

“We've become more proactive because we know we can get prosecutions for theft,” Bianco told The Center Square during an interview. “Flock cameras are being used more often by almost every single agency, every single city, and we're being proactive. So it's just like a perfect storm for crime to go down.”

Flock cameras are automated license plate readers. Other vehicle-locating cameras used are capable of identifying specific sizes, colors, designs and damage to cars.

There were 133,372 vehicles stolen in California in 2025. Law enforcement successfully recovered 111,661 vehicles, 55.2% of which were intact and in drivable condition after recovery, according to reports from the CHP.

“CHP is only responsible for about 20% of those recoveries. The rest of those recoveries were made by county and city officers who don't report to the governor,” Steven Smith, senior fellow of urban studies at the Pasadena-based Pacific Research Institute, told The Center Square during an interview.

Los Angeles County had 47,191 vehicle thefts in 2025, the most of any county in California. Alameda County had 12,277 thefts, the second highest number among counties.

Bianco cited Proposition 36 as a large reason for the reduction in crime, not only regarding vehicle theft, but all kinds of crime. Proposition 36 was a ballot initiative in 2024 that increased sentencing for drug and theft crimes. It passed with nearly 70% of the vote.

“Criminals know that there's a consequence now, and common sense and law enforcement and people with brains have been saying that for years to the Legislature," Bianco told The Center Square. "If there's not going to be a consequence, then there's going to be all kinds of crime."

Smith noted Gov. Newsom previously opposed Proposition 36 and was in favor of Proposition 47 when it was passed in 2014. Proposition 47 reduced penalties for drug and theft crimes.

“Most of the data we have related to the reduction in vehicle thefts is probably corollary to Prop. 36,” Smith said. “I think there is a decided change of mood, in that would-be criminals are conscious of the idea that you know people are tired of being victims of thefts, and that stricter sanctions await them.”

Smith referenced that Californians, fed up with crime, decided to vote against the district attorneys within the last four years in three of the counties with the highest crime rates. Pamela Price lost her re-election bid in Alameda County, Chesa Boudin was recalled from office in San Francisco County, and George Gascon lost his re-election bid in Los Angeles County.  

Bianco stressed the importance of technology in fighting crime. In addition to using Flock cameras, and other cameras like it, to locate stolen vehicles, the cameras aided in catching robbers, rapists, murderers and kidnappers, the sheriff said.

“We are catching more people than ever,” Bianco said. He called the Flock cameras "a game changer for law enforcement.”

Bianco said the cameras helped the Riverside County Sheriff’s office solve 14 murders last year. Nine of the suspects had committed the crime in other counties, but were caught in Riverside County.

According to Bianco, the cameras used by law enforcement are bought using grant, city, state, and federal money. The cameras are also available for private purchase. Bianco said businesses, homeowner associations and school systems are encouraged to buy Flock cameras.

“Most communities that have HOAs, there's only one or two roads for entrance and exit from the community. And if they put up one camera at an entrance and an exit, any crime that happens in that HOA, we will more than likely be able to solve,” Bianco said.

In Newsom's press release, the Governor's Office noted the California Highway Patrol is working with local law enforcement to fight organized vehicle theft and other crime through targeted enforcement and public awareness.

Bianco described the relationship between sheriffs and the CHP as a “great relationship.”

“One of the big issues with 9/11, was law enforcement didn’t talk with each other, and we've made great strides in making sure that we aren't holding things close to the vest, that we are sharing information with our neighboring partner law enforcement. And that's making a huge difference," Bianco said.

The Center Square reached out to the California Highway Patrol, but did not get responses back by the time of publication.

Bianco said Newsom's press release announcing the decrease in theft was "self-serving by our governor.” Bianco lost the 2026 Republican primary election for governor to former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, who will square off against Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and former U.S. secretary of health and human services, in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election.

Bianco said more credit for the theft decrease should go to local law enforcement than the state. “It's the governor trying to take advantage of it for his own personal gain, and it's unfortunate."

Newsom, a Democrat who will be termed-out as governor as of Jan. 4, 2027, is widely expected to run for president in 2028. He has said he would consider a White House run after this November's midterm election.