Calif. voters pass anti-crime measure focused on retail, residential theft
Voters in California overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that would increase penalties for certain theft- and drug-related crimes.
The measure, Proposition 36, was backed by a prosecutors, law enforcement and retailers, and came as cities in California have experiences surges in retail crime since the pandemic. (The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, was among its supporters.) It will reclassify certain theft- and drug-related crimes as possible felonies instead of misdemeanors.
“Californians are increasingly frustrated by the rising crime rates, which is why Proposition 36 passed with overwhelming support," said Matt Ross, spokesperson for Californians Against Retail and Residential Theft (CARRT), a coalition of over 300 business associations, local groups and victim organizations. “Proposition 36 establishes stricter penalties and greater accountability for repeat offenders of retail theft.”
The newly passed measure rolls back parts of Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that turned some drug and theft crimes into misdemeanors in an attempt to reduce overcrowding in California’s prisons.
"This is just one step towards reversing the damage caused by Proposition 47 and addressing retail and residential theft on Main Street and in our neighborhoods,” Ross said.
Previously, the punishment for a shoplifter was the same regardless of whether it was a person's first offense or their fiftieth. Under Proposition 36, the theft of $950 of goods or less from stores is now classified as a felony punishable by up to three years if the offender has “two or more past convictions for certain theft crimes (such as shoplifting, burglary or carjacking),” reported the SFGate.
It also lengthens felony sentences by up to three years if at least three people jointly commit a theft or property crime, and requires that some felonies — such as dealing drugs like fentanyl — be served in state prison and not county jail.
"CARRT will closely monitor the implementation of Proposition 36 to ensure that both store employees and customers are safer, and that resources are available for law enforcement and rehabilitation efforts,” said Ross.
