As property and drug crimes continue to surge across California, a state retailers organization is taking a stand. They have begun an aggressive campaign to advocate the passage of a ballot proposition that would significantly intensify penalties for these types of crimes. The movement reflects a long overdue shift away from the state’s recent trajectory toward more lenient criminal justice policies, most notably after the 2014 passage of Proposition 47.
Proposition 47 reclassified certain “non-violent offenses” like shoplifting as misdemeanors. Businesses and law enforcement officials attribute the wave of new property crimes to the proposition’s lenient approach to retail theft. The new proposition being supported by retailers is titled “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act.” Its main thrust is to reverse the negative impact Proposition 47 has had over the last decade. Its topline priority is to once again classify most forms of retail theft of substantial property as felonies.
NO MORE FREEBIEShttps://t.co/XK5NswQsAh
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 24, 2023
According to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California, since 2019, the commercial robbery rate in California has escalated by 13.3%, with shoplifting witnessing a 28.7% increase in 2022 alone. These alarming statistics have galvanized retailers and businesses to act. The California Retailers Association and the Family Business Association of California are among the key proponents of the new ballot initiative.
The proposed act will allow for tougher bail and release conditions for defendants, which supporters believe will deter future crimes. “Enough is enough,” they argue, highlighting the need for a more stringent approach to tackle the increasing offenses that threaten community safety.
The initiative has attracted significant attention and financial support, with retail giant Walmart donating $500,000 to the campaign. Former Democratic Assemblymember Rudy Salas of Bakersfield, recognizing the “unintended consequences of Prop. 47’s weakening of our theft laws,” supports the new initiative. He believes California voters are ready to readdress the issue.
However, the topic isn’t without controversy. Critics argue that the claims of a crime surge are exaggerated and that a return to harsher penalties does not address the root causes of these problems, such as poverty and underinvestment. Proponents of Proposition 47 maintain that sentencing alone is not sufficient to rectify the systemic issues at play.
The debate extends beyond the retailers and into the political arena. Democratic politicians, who dominate California’s legislature, are increasingly aware of public safety concerns. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced grants to combat retail crime, and new committees in the Assembly are focusing on theft laws.
Meanwhile, law enforcement groups are taking a direct approach by pursuing a ballot initiative that would strengthen penalties for repeat retail theft and modify drug trafficking charges. This move underscores a potential shift in California’s approach to criminal justice, reflecting growing public anxiety over safety and property crimes.
The ongoing crime wave in California has placed the state’s residents and businesses at a crossroads. As retailers and law enforcement agencies advocate for significant changes in the state criminal code, the state’s leftist progressive misadventure of the last three decades could be on the brink.
