CHP - Merced

Some kids came over for a sticker. Others wanted a closer look at the CHP motorcycle. Their parents had questions for us, too. A few people wanted to know what it takes to become an officer.

That’s how our weekend went at the Livingston Sweet Potato Festival. Merced Area officers staffed a booth and spent time talking with people while they enjoyed the festival.

We value the chance to meet people this way. There’s time to answer a question someone has been meaning to ask, hear what’s on their mind, or just say hello. Who knows? One of those career conversations might lead us to our next beat partner.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and to the City of Livingston Recreation Department for bringing the community together to celebrate Livingston’s sweet potato harvest.

Livingston, we’re at the Sweet Potato Festival! 🍠

If you’re at the Max Foster Sports Complex, look for the blue CHP tent and come say hi. Our Merced officers would love to meet you, answer your questions, or hear which food booth we need to try first.

The festival runs through Sunday. What’s your must-have festival food?

Friday morning, and the workweek isn’t over just yet.

There are two separate traffic stops in this photo. The Explorer is hard to miss, but did you spot the motor officer farther up the road?

We know everyone’s ready for the weekend. Give yourself enough time to get where you’re going, pay attention, and don’t end your workweek with a traffic stop.

Did you catch the motor officer on your first look?

A narrow road leaves little room for error.

Yesterday, Officer Quinonez responded to a collision involving a juvenile riding a motorized scooter to school and a pickup truck. The rider was traveling against traffic without a helmet. The road had rough edges and little usable shoulder, making it difficult to stay clear of passing vehicles.

If your student rides a motorized scooter to school, take a look at the route with them. Scooters need to travel with traffic, even when riding near the edge of the road. Riders under 18 also need a properly fitted and fastened helmet.

And for drivers making the morning commute: keep an eye out for students on scooters and bicycles. They can be especially hard to see when you’re driving toward the sun.

77 POUNDS OF SUSPECTED CO***NE SEIZED IN MERCED COUNTY

On September 23, 2026, what started as a traffic stop in Merced County led to the discovery of two sophisticated hidden compartments-and a significant amount of suspected narcotics.

During the stop, a Central Division canine officer received consent to search the vehicle and enclosed trailer. Inside the trailer was a Nissan Juke, which was found to have two concealed compartments built into the driver and passenger-side floors.

The compartments contained multiple packages of suspected co***ne. Officers recovered approximately 77 pounds, with an estimated street value of $1,398,320.

The driver and passenger were taken into custody, and the investigation was turned over to the Merced Area Gang Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET).

Both individuals were later booked into the Merced County Jail for possession of narcotics for sale and transportation of narcotics across noncontiguous counties.

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111 mph on Campus Parkway.

Yesterday, Officer Lomeli was patrolling near Olive Avenue when a vehicle came toward him at a high rate of speed. He locked its speed at 111 mph, then turned around to catch up.

At that speed, the vehicle travels about 163 feet in a single second. A driver pulling onto Campus Parkway could look, see a car in the distance, and have far less time than expected before it reaches them.

We’ve received numerous complaints about speeding in this area, and we’ve been actively patrolling it. This is exactly why.

Drivers cited for going over 100 mph are now automatically referred to DMV’s Driver Safety Branch for review. DMV can consider suspending or revoking a license even before the citation is resolved in court.

Slow down on Campus Parkway. We’ll be out there.

CHP Traffic Stop Leads to $1.36 Million M**h Seizure

On September 10, 2026, a CHP Central Division Canine Officer conducted an enforcement stop on a 2026 Dodge Durango in Merced County for multiple traffic violations.

During the stop, the officer observed indicators of possible criminal activity. K-9 Shei was deployed around the vehicle and alerted to the odor of narcotics.

A subsequent probable cause search revealed approximately 100 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $1,362,000.

The driver was taken into custody and later booked into the Merced County Jail for possession and transportation of methamphetamine for sale.

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Today, the C.I.T.E. team took its collaborative traffic enforcement efforts to the City of Merced.

The morning started with officers from agencies throughout Merced County meeting at the Merced Police Department before heading out into the community. With school back in session, officers first focused on areas around local schools during the morning rush, then shifted to other locations where traffic concerns have been reported.

That’s the idea behind C.I.T.E. Bring officers together, listen to the concerns coming from our communities and put resources where they’re needed.

And yes, somewhere between the briefing and the traffic stops, there was apparently time for a donut.

We’ve worked Atwater. Today it was Merced. And we’ll keep taking this partnership throughout the county.

Different agencies working together with the same goal, making the roads our communities use every day safer.

Six years later, he came back to say hello.

Officer Tipler first met this young man while giving a pedestrian safety presentation at a Merced County elementary school. Yesterday, he stopped by the CHP booth at the annual Carlos Vieira Foundation Autism Day BBQ with some exciting news: he wants to become a CHP officer when he is old enough.

This is why showing up in our community matters. A classroom visit or brief conversation may seem small, but the connection and example can last a lifetime.

Maybe their next photo together will be in matching uniforms.

112 MPH.

That red number on the radar display is the speed of the approaching vehicle. The green number is the speed of the patrol vehicle: 65 mph.

Yesterday, one of our officers stopped this driver on southbound State Route 99 near Plainsburg Road. At 112 mph, the vehicle was traveling more than 160 feet every second. That is enough to travel from one goal line to the other on a football field in less than two seconds.

Now imagine traffic slowing ahead. A vehicle changing lanes. Debris in the roadway. At that speed, there is very little time or distance to react.

Drivers also need to know about California’s new FAST program. Every CHP citation for driving more than 100 mph is automatically referred to the DMV Driver Safety Branch, regardless of the driver’s previous point history. The DMV review is separate from the court case and may result in a suspended or revoked driver’s license.

This stop ended on the shoulder. At 112 mph, the next one may not.