California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills on Friday aimed at addressing smash-and-grab robberies and property crimes. The bipartisan legislation is designed to target repeat shoplifters, auto thieves, and professional reselling schemes. The move comes as Democratic leaders seek to demonstrate their commitment to combating crime, especially in the face of a ballot measure proposing harsher sentences for repeat offenders of shoplifting and drug charges.
Shoplifting has been a growing concern in California, but large-scale smash-and-grab thefts, where groups boldly raid stores in plain view, have escalated into a crisis in the state and elsewhere. These crimes, often captured on video and shared on social media, have brought significant attention to the issue of retail theft. Governor Newsom described the legislative changes as the most significant step taken to address retail theft in years, enabling law enforcement to impose harsher penalties by combining the value of stolen goods from multiple victims and arresting individuals based on video evidence or witness statements.
The legislation also targets cargo thefts, closes legal loopholes to facilitate prosecuting auto thefts, and mandates that online marketplaces like eBay and Nextdoor collect bank account and tax identification information from high-volume sellers. Retailers will now have the ability to obtain restraining orders against convicted shoplifters under one of the bills authored by State Senator Nancy Skinner. The focus is on taking effective measures to combat retail theft without resorting to mass incarceration.
Despite bipartisan support for the package from the Legislature, some progressive Democrats expressed reservations, noting concerns about the punitive nature of certain measures. The debate reflects the broader challenge faced by California Democrats in navigating crime-related issues, particularly as they seek to balance progressive policies with addressing crime effectively. Governor Newsom’s administration has already allocated $267 million to support law enforcement efforts, including increasing patrols, purchasing surveillance equipment, and prosecuting offenders.
The issue of crime in California has intensified, with criticisms from Republicans and law enforcement officials, highlighting instances of large-scale thefts captured on viral videos. The rise in retail crimes and drug-related issues has raised concerns among voters, who view California as grappling with lawlessness amid a homelessness crisis. The need to address this challenge has also split Democrats, with some supporting the tough-on-crime Proposition 36, which Democrats feared could disproportionately impact low-income individuals and those with substance abuse issues.
Although quantifying the extent of retail crime in California is challenging due to limited local data sharing, evidence such as major store closures and common items being secured behind plexiglass underscores the severity of the situation. The California Retailers Association highlighted the difficulty in quantifying the issue due to limited data sharing practices among stores. While crime rates in California remain lower compared to previous decades, specific regions like the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles have observed a steady rise in shoplifting between 2021 and 2022, according to a report by the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California.
Notably, the California Highway Patrol announced on Friday that they have recovered $45 million in stolen goods and made close to 3,000 arrests since 2019, underscoring the scale of the state’s ongoing efforts to tackle crime.