It started with a letter. In July 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom didn't just suggest a change; he essentially called out Oakland’s leadership for being an "outlier." He argued that the city’s strict rules on when cops can chase bad guys were actually making things more dangerous. Criminals, he said, were fleeing with "impunity" because they knew exactly when the Oakland Police Department (OPD) would be forced to back off.
For a long time, if you were a cop in Oakland, you couldn't just floor it. You had a hard speed limit of 50 mph for most chases, and you needed a supervisor to sign off before you even started. It was a policy born out of a very real fear of innocent people getting killed in high-speed wrecks. But as 2025 rolled around, the pressure from Sacramento became impossible to ignore.
The Big Change: What’s Different for Oakland Police?
By late 2025, the Oakland Police Commission finally blinked. They voted unanimously to scrap the old 50 mph cap. Now, as we move through 2026, officers have way more leeway.
Honestly, the new rules are a bit of a balancing act. Officers can now initiate a pursuit at "any speed" if they think it’s necessary, but they still have to consider a list of about 19 different risk factors. We're talking about things like:
- How thick is the traffic?
- Is it raining or foggy?
- Are they near a school or a crowded park?
- Do they actually know who the person is? (Because if you have their ID, why risk a crash?)
One big catch remains: they still can’t chase you for just anything. The policy is still focused on "violent forcible crimes" or situations involving a gun. If someone boosts a car or robs a corner store without a weapon, the cops are generally still supposed to let them go. This has actually annoyed some local business owners who feel like their shops are still being treated like an open buffet for thieves.
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Why Newsom Pushed So Hard
You’ve probably seen the videos. Sideshows in the middle of intersections, cars doing donuts while crowds cheer, and then those same cars speeding away the second a siren blips. Newsom’s team, along with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), noticed a pattern. Criminals were literally using specific routes because they knew that’s where OPD would have to stop the chase.
The Governor basically told Oakland: "Look, we're sending in the CHP to help you, but if your own cops can't do the job because of these rules, what’s the point?" It was a bit of a "tough love" moment for the city. He wasn't just talking about crime stats; he was talking about the vibe of lawlessness.
The CHP, by the way, doesn't play by Oakland's rules. When they surge into the city—which they've been doing a lot lately—they follow state guidelines. Those guidelines are much broader. CHP can chase for reckless driving or DUIs, things OPD was previously banned from pursuing. This created a weird "two-tier" policing system in the city that Newsom wanted to fix.
The Cost of Catching the Bad Guy
Not everyone is cheering for faster chases. The memory of Marvin Boomer Jr. is still very fresh in Oakland. He was a beloved teacher at Castlemont High who was killed in May 2025. He wasn't a criminal. He wasn't in the chase. He was just a guy on the street when a suspect fleeing the CHP hit a hydrant that struck and killed him.
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When people say "loosen the restrictions," critics hear "more dead bystanders."
The Anti Police-Terror Project and other activist groups have been vocal about this. They argue that most of these chases end in a crash, and often it’s not the suspect who gets hurt. Between 2018 and 2023, Oakland saw about 600 pursuits. Six people died. That might not sound like a huge number to some, but if one of those six is your neighbor or your kid’s teacher, the "impunity" of a car thief feels like a secondary problem.
Does it Actually Work? The 2026 Reality
So, did the shift work? The data for early 2026 is starting to trickle in, and it’s a mixed bag.
Violent crime in Oakland actually dropped significantly throughout 2025—homicides were down about 20% and robberies fell by over 40%. But here's the kicker: most of that happened before the pursuit policy was officially loosened. Supporters of the new policy say the drop is because criminals knew the change was coming and that the CHP was already out there being aggressive. Critics say the drop proves we didn't need the high-speed chases in the first place.
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The Current State of Pursuits in Oakland:
- Approval: Officers need verbal supervisor permission, but they don't have to wait for it before they start the engine.
- Speed: No more 50 mph limit; it’s based on "reasonableness."
- Accountability: Officers can’t be punished for stopping a chase if they think it’s getting too dangerous. This is key—it encourages them to use their brains, not just their lead feet.
What Happens Next?
If you live in or commute through Oakland, you're going to see a more aggressive police presence. That’s just the reality of the 2026 landscape. Chief Floyd Mitchell is under a microscope right now. He has to prove that his officers can handle this new power without turning the city streets into a "Fast & Furious" set.
Actionable Insights for Residents:
- Stay Alert at Intersections: Even if you have the green light, keep your head on a swivel. High-speed pursuits can appear out of nowhere, and the "no-pursuit" zones of the past are gone.
- Monitor the Quarterly Reports: The Police Commission is required to release data every three months on how many chases happened and what the outcomes were. If you’re concerned about safety, these reports are your best tool for holding the city accountable.
- Understand the Jurisdictions: Remember that if you see a CHP cruiser, they are operating under different, broader rules than OPD. They have always been allowed to chase more aggressively.
- Advocate for Tech Alternatives: Many cities are moving toward "StarChase" (GPS tags shot at cars) or heavy drone usage to avoid high-speed chases altogether. Pushing the City Council to fund these technologies might be the only way to get the "capture" without the "crash."
The "impunity" Newsom talked about might be fading, but the risk to the public hasn't disappeared. It’s just changed shape.