Governor Newsom announces interagency effort to coordinate California’s public safety strategy into the future

What you need to know: Governor Newsom signs an executive order to strengthen interagency coordination among public safety partners to take the positive gains achieved in gun safety, crime drops and victims services into the next administration.

SACRAMENTO - Building on California's historic progress against crime and in developing a coordinated, evidence-driven strategy for the future, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order establishing an Interagency Effort to promote Community Safety focusing on violence intervention and prevention, and increasing efforts to support victims.

California has made historic progress on public safety, and we have to protect it. By continuing to bring agencies together to measure results, close gaps, and build on what works, we can help ensure this progress continues for years to come.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The interagency effort will bring relevant state agencies together, assess California's existing effort, strengthen coordination and data sharing, and examine opportunities to improve outcomes in areas including violence prevention and victim services. Its work will build on existing interagency efforts and identify strategies that can be sustained and strengthened by the next administration.

The group's work will focus on:

• Itemizing the state's existing public-safety programs, investments, and responsibilities.

• Evaluating what is producing results, where coordination is lacking, and where resources can have the greatest impact.

• Recommending a coordinated, evidence-based strategy across prevention, deterrence, rehabilitation, and reentry.

Since 2019, Governor Newsom has doubled down on public safety priorities - protecting communities, supporting law enforcement, preventing violence and holding people who commit crimes accountable.

California crime rates fall to historic lows

California's latest statewide crime data show declines across every major category in 2025. Compared with 2024, California saw:

• Homicide: ↓ 18.6%

• Robbery: ↓ 19.9%

• Property crime: ↓ 14.3%

• Motor vehicle theft: ↓ 25.8%

• Violent crime: ↓ 10.2%

Since Governor Newsom took office, homicide is down 20%, robbery is down 31%, property crime is down 24%, motor vehicle theft is down 19%, and violent crime is down 3%.

The Governor's public safety strategy has included investments in law enforcement, partnerships with local agencies, organized crime enforcement, gun safety, drug interdiction and violence prevention.

A public safety strategy built around what works

From historic investments in law enforcement to community-based violence prevention, California is taking a comprehensive approach to making communities safer. Governor Newsom began making public safety a priority from day one - building the foundation for safer communities through stronger gun laws, expanded violence prevention, tougher action against organized crime and fentanyl trafficking, and deeper partnerships between state and local law enforcement.

Year after year, his Administration added capacity: more CHP officers, new Crime Suppression Teams, expanded counterdrug operations, record investments in community violence prevention and stronger tools to hold offenders accountable.

Then, he took that strategy statewide - and that sustained commitment is now delivering results. Crime is falling, law enforcement capacity is growing, deadly drugs and illegal firearms are being seized, stolen property is being recovered, and new research is showing that targeted violence prevention can save lives.

The state is also investing in efforts to prevent human trafficking, hold traffickers and buyers accountable, and protect survivors. The enacted state budget includes $2.4 million over three years to support the Finding Kids grant program, which funds local law enforcement decoy operations targeting sex trafficking, and $1.8 million for City of Refuge Sacramento to support a neighborhood-based Family Belonging and Prevention Micro-Campus serving women affected by sexual exploitation, trafficking, or abuse.