California residents in the Bay Area are fed up with the mounting crime and calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to send help as Los Angeles continues to battle wildfires that have destroyed several communities.
As looting is on the rise in Southern California as communities work to pick up the pieces left by wildfires, Newsom is calling for looting in fire evacuation zones to be a felony after prosecutors urged him to issue harsher penalties.
“Preying on people at their most vulnerable is despicable, these criminals are among the worst kinds,” Newsom said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday afternoon.
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.
CHARLES BARKLEY SLAMS SAN FRANCISCO AS ‘RAT INFESTED,’ DECLARES HE’S SKIPPING NBA ALL-STAR GAME
The governor added that he had also called on CalGuard and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to protect impacted residents and their property once the fires broke out.
State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones told Fox News Digital that the wildfires have only drawn more attention and awareness to the growing crime problem in California.
“For too long, criminals have run rampant in Newsom’s California, and now we’re seeing the devastating consequences,” he said. “From arsonists igniting fires to shameless looters preying on fire victims, this crime wave has only deepened the stress on our already overwhelmed communities.”
Jones added that he felt that the delay in deploying the National Guard was a huge misstep by Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
TRUMP, NEWSOM CLASH OVER WILDFIRES, BUT CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SAYS HE’LL WORK WITH PRESIDENT
“LA Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom delayed the deployment of the National Guard – one of many missteps in their fire response. This created a window for chaos. Early deployment could have curbed the crime spree, but their failure to act gave criminals free rein to exploit the disaster,” Jones said.
“Thankfully, with Prop 36 enhancing penalties and the newly elected LA County DA Nathan Hochman prioritizing justice for victims, we have stronger tools to hold these criminals accountable. Those who exploit disasters must face the harshest penalties possible.”
Newsom’s office denied Jones’ claim and told Fox News Digital that “the California National Guard have been deployed since the very beginning of the conflict, and the Governor has regularly increased presence,” adding that there are now up to 2,500 members.
Jones also posted a statement on X, calling on Californians to “reclaim the Golden State.”
“The time for timid reform in which the government only gets bigger is over. Californians must rise and reclaim our Golden State from the deathly and devastating grip of endless bureaucratic cancer.”
While Southern California deals with devastating fires, one community in the Bay Area is begging for Newsom to send help, even starting a petition in December to get help.
“As a resident of Vallejo, CA, I am deeply concerned about the safety of my community. Our city has been grappling with escalating crime rates due to severe understaffing in our local police department,” Paula Conley, a Vallejo resident who started the petition, wrote in a post on Change.org. “We deserve a clean and safe city where we can live without fear.”
NEWSOM CALLS FOR LOOTING TO BE A FELONY IN EVACUATION ZONES AMID LA INFERNO
Conley claimed that the city is “experiencing an alarming increase in crime rates.”
“We are petitioning Gov. Newsom to deploy CHP/Sheriff officers to assist Vallejo with its spiraling crime problem,” Conley said.
Several petitioners commented and echoed the same sentiment as Conley.
“How many more lives need to be lost or harmed before the governor takes action? I’m grateful for the neighboring CHP and other officers from nearby counties who are stepping up, but we need to improve the situation, and it doesn’t appear to be happening,” Linda, a Vallejo resident, wrote.
MICHAEL RAPAPORT GOES BALLISTIC ON GAVIN NEWSOM OVER LA FIRES: ‘TRUMP-PROOFING CALIFORNIA? TRY FIRE-PROOFING’
“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 stepheny.price@fox.com
Read the full article here
