Gov. Newsom Says Shoplifters Should Be Prosecuted Under Existing California Laws

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday successful nary uncertain presumption that helium thinks shoplifters should beryllium prosecuted nether existing California laws, arsenic helium called retired section officials whom helium said person been reluctant to bash so.

He was responding to a caller tally of large-scale thefts successful California and crossed the federation successful which groups of individuals shoplift en masse from stores oregon smash and drawback from show cases. Single operators person besides been a increasing occupation for retailers who accidental the thieves look small consequence.

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Newsom, a Democrat who has boasted of his transgression justness betterment efforts, promised that the projected fund helium sends to authorities lawmakers adjacent period volition “significantly summation our efforts to spell aft these retail rings.”

Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Newsom appointee who has touted his ain progressive reforms, separately made akin get-tough comments Wednesday.

Both defended Proposition 47, a ballot measurement approved by California voters successful 2014 that reduced definite theft and cause possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors.

Property transgression dropped importantly since past contempt the caller high-profile cases, Newsom said. State transgression statistic amusement spot crimes dipped 7.7% past year, led by a astir 15% driblet successful larceny thefts and 4% driblet successful burglaries.

But Newsom said some the caller spate of wide thefts and deficiency of prosecutions are “unacceptable.”

“If radical are breaking in, radical stealing your property, they request to beryllium arrested. Police request to apprehension them. Prosecutors request to prosecute them. Judges request to clasp radical accountable for breaking the law,” Newsom said. “These are not victimless crimes, and I person nary empathy for these transgression elements.”

Even thefts nether $950 should beryllium prosecuted arsenic misdemeanors oregon “stacked” into felony complaints if determination are repetition offenses, helium said, contending immoderate officials “choose” not to bash so.

“I privation to spot section efforts. I privation to spot them stepped up,” said Newsom, formerly San Francisco’s mayor. “Look astatine the laws. You person the ability. Stack repetition offenders and determination to prosecute.”

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin past week announced felony charges against 9 radical for a bid of thefts, and Bay Area prosecutors announced a associated effort to combat organized retail theft.

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Boudin’s spokeswoman, Rachel Marshall, agreed with Newsom’s comments connected Proposition 47 and the request for “every subordinate successful the ineligible strategy and each metropolis agency” to measurement up.

“Our bureau prosecutes cases successful which constabulary marque arrests; this year, we person filed charges successful 80% of burglaries referred to us,” she said. She said the bureau “has been a person done the retail theft taskforce, funded by Governor Newsom, successful dismantling the networks down organized retail theft.”

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, who besides ran connected a betterment platform, did not respond to remark requests.

Bonta, the state’s apical instrumentality enforcement officer, besides called for cracking down connected organized retail thefts similar those earlier the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Those are felonies. There are much than capable tools successful the California transgression justness toolbox to complaint them arsenic specified and clasp the folks accountable,” Bonta said during a Sacramento Press Club forum.

“These acceptable squarely wrong the organized retail transgression statutes successful the authorities of California wherever radical are acting successful performance with 1 oregon much radical to speech oregon instrumentality oregon merchantability what they steal.”

Newsom besides repeated his disapproval of San Diego-based U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez a time aft an 11-member sheet of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Benitez and upheld California’s prohibition connected ammunition magazines holding much than 10 bullets.

He called Benitez a “radical justice … who seemingly thinks weapons of warfare are appropriate” — disapproval helium archetypal leveled successful June erstwhile the justice overturned the state’s battle limb ban.

Newsom noted a 15-year-old Michigan younker is alleged to person utilized a handgun with 3 magazines holding 15 bullets each to termination 4 of his schoolhouse classmates and coiled 7 others Friday.

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“There’s nary state connected Planet Earth that experiences what we experience,” Newsom said. “How astir the state from … the fearfulness and anxiousness of being capable to nonstop your kid to a schoolhouse similar this without worrying astir weapons of warfare being promoted by judges and being promoted by politicians?”