Two high Democrats within the California Legislature on Thursday introduced a multi-pronged plan to sort out the current rash of organized thefts that has blighted the state’s nationwide repute and tormented retailers.
The legislative bundle, authored by Meeting Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), will give attention to so-called organized retail theft crime rings, that are blamed for the uptick within the high-profile, smash-and-grab incidents plaguing California.
Rivas and Zbur, chair of the Choose Committee on Retail Theft, mentioned the main points of the laws might be launched Friday, including to a listing of an anticipated 15 to twenty extra payments that additionally handle retail crime.
The lawmakers mentioned the bundle was impressed partially by a few of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strategies for laws to fight the crimes. This month, Newsom despatched 120 California Freeway Patrol officers to Oakland below a brand new state legislation enforcement marketing campaign concentrating on an increase in violent crime and theft that has elevated criticism of California’s prison justice insurance policies.
If handed, the invoice would penalize what the lawmakers known as “skilled retail thieves,” rising potential jail sentences to as much as three years. Underneath the laws, thieves might be prosecuted for the whole worth of things stolen in a collection of crimes, even when there have been separate victims. It additionally would goal the resale of stolen merchandise, together with gadgets offered on-line.
Massive retailers can be required to supply theft knowledge, prone to a state company, though the specifics are unclear, whereas defending client data. One main setback in resolving retail crimes has been the dearth of information — largely on account of underreporting from retailers that say it takes too lengthy to file police studies.
The invoice can even broaden diversion packages and instruments for police to make arrests based mostly on witness statements or surveillance movies.
Lately, Mayors London Breed of San Francisco and Matt Mahan of San Jose endorsed a poll measure that may reform Proposition 47, an initiative voters handed a decade in the past to cut back mass incarceration by reclassifying some felony crimes, together with retail theft, into misdemeanors. The proposition raised from $400 to $950 the quantity for which theft will be prosecuted as a felony.
Incidents of retail crime hit the San Francisco Bay Space laborious between 2020 and 2022, however the metropolis noticed these crimes dwindle final yr. The primary three weeks of the yr witnessed property crime go down 41%.
Whereas he was lieutenant governor, Newsom supported Proposition 47 and lately mentioned he was against asking voters to reform the measure. The governor believes the thefts will be addressed by way of laws.
And Rivas and Zbur are delivering the identical message.
“I’m most considering getting it proper,” Rivas mentioned. “We all know it is a downside. We don’t need to have a knee-jerk response and blame Prop. 47.”
