WebCops and prosecutors are at odds over Proposition 47, a 2014 referendum that lowered the penalty for stealing goods worth less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. Why would you attempt to continue to do business in a climate like that? The state has recorded increased levels of retail theft every year since prop 47 was passed. Copyright 2023 HotAir.com/Salem Media. Criminal justice experts say if California officials agree that moving away from mass incarceration and toward decriminalization of low-level offenses is imperative, then it's important to go after the bosses and co-conspirators rather than focusing on the shoplifters themselves, who may be paid juveniles and homeless people, according to officials. Walnut Creek police said three people were arrested in connection with Saturday nights incident. As California enters its hottest and driest stretch of the year, which forces municipalities to increasingly restrict water use, the thefts are threatening to make a bad situation even more dire. She can't believe the 39-year-old attorney, who ran a high-end loan company, would scam her out of thousands of dollars. Rail thefts have spiked in Los Angeles County, with thieves climbing aboard cargo trains, breaking into containers and stealing packages, railroad company Union Pacific warned Sunday. "People who are stealing giant, giant tote bags, giant backpacks worth of inventory are not getting the same benefit of the people that are stealing food and clothing for their children," she said. Here's what to know about these recent thefts: These incidents, which have been dubbed "grab and go" or "smash and go" thefts,involve people taking expensive items and running off, rather than traditional shoplifters who snag items here and there while shopping around. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, "Sadly, as it relates to crime, we've gotten a lot of negative attention," Breed added. The stolen merchandise was estimated at $120,000, Oak Brook police said in a statement. Insurance companies have limits as to how many times theyll cover a claim if youre unwilling or unable to secure your inventory. "Nobody cares about big broad statistics," she said. Officials didnt specify the estimated value of the items that were stolen. Once people realized that they were unlikely to be arrested or prosecuted for stealing below $1,000, they, of course, responded to the incentive. Business owners and security officials in San Francisco, for example, are decrying the "lawlessness" in the city over shoplifting. Although the thefts have been clustered in California, they have also occurred elsewhere. San Francisco shoplifting: 4 women bolt out of CVS with stuffed bags in citys latest retail theft. WebA Newport Beach attorney is accused of stealing more than $10 million from business partners and friends to fund a lavish lifestyle in Las Vegas. appreciated. In Fresno, a $500 fine is possible the first time somebody is caught stealing water from a fire hydrant, city spokesman Mark Standriff said. Retailers and experts from the National Retail Federation saythefts have gotten more violent amid the pandemic and have moved from cities to the suburbs. As an extreme drought grips California, making water increasingly scarce, thieves are making off with billions of gallons of the precious resource, tapping into fire hydrants, rivers, and even small family homes and farms. Crime is rising almost everywhere in California, including violent crime. This includes death row inmate Richard Allen Davis, one of 737 murderers in the system, who was a released felon when he murdered Polly Klaas in 1993. Under the CA Theft Law, the misdemeanor shoplifting charge is only applicable for goods valued under $950. Both CVS and Walgreens say shoplifting in San Francisco outpaces thefts at their stores across the country. The video was recently filmed at a TJ Maxx in Granada Hills and shows two men leaving the store with their arms packed with clothing and other items, with one of the men carrying a large duffle bag that appears to be full of items. One alleged victim describes King as like a family member. (Nov. 25), more than 80 people stormed another Nordstrom, Retailers and experts from the National Retail Federation say, 'Mob of people' storms, robs California Nordstrom, Walgreens closing 5 more San Francisco stores due to organized shoplifting. A similar study in the Journal of Criminal Justice published this month found that Proposition 47 and another related reform law were successful in helping to reduce the state prison population and that the increases in crime that the initiatives may have been linked to in the Los Angeles area were "generally small.". In addition, the resentencing would guarantee a lower sentence and would not add more years for the convicted individual. California is continuing down a path where simply being a member of a minority group is an excuse for nearly anything. This does not happen in all cases, but it is possible to even with the new law. I doubt many would, knowing that a Rite Aid employee was murdered recently after trying to stop two thieves. Police data shows overall thefts are down 9 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2020, when the city was on lockdown and many businesses closed during the onset of the pandemic. Because state law holds that stealing merchandise worth $950 or less is just a misdemeanor, which means that law enforcement probably wont bother to investigate, and if they do, prosecutors will let it go. And in the matter of minutes, in just a couple of minutes, they can literally steal hundreds of thousands of dollars of product.. Sara King's former employer is suing the sultry swindler for allegedly funding her lavish lifestyle and a Vegas gambling binge with their money. or redistributed. Donning ski masks, the mob ran off with thousands of dollars of merchandise. Its just that the Bay Area has chosen to forget. What were witnessing is the further shredding of the fabric of society. Thanks for contacting us. California smash-and-grab gangs strike again, steal $25,000 in high-end goods. These increases put the spotlight on Californias recent legal change that provides shorter sentences for prisoners, including violent felons, largely because of budgetary issues (California prison costs are among the highest in the country at $81,000 annually per prisoner), and also on Newsoms decision to suspend the states death penalty law via executive order. I think were going to be OK on Election Day. Sounds like a well-intentioned man who still wants the job but is having second thoughts about whether he believes in himself. Theft will be considered a misdemeanor if the stolen value does not exceed $950. Homicides in California jumped 31 percent last year, making 2020 the deadliest year since 2007. On the other, there are the organized crime rings that oversee the theft of vast amounts of merchandise that is turned around and sold online. Even in cases where they do manage to catch somebody stealing, its too often not worth the trouble of taking them down to the station because theyll just be released immediately without bail anyway. 12:18 AM EDT, Fri August 13, 2021. Over 500 students found themselves trapped at a sleepaway science camp due to the winter blizzard that descended on Southern California. Shoplifting isnt unique to Los Angeles, as other cities in the state are reporting an increase. The thefts are also not specific to California. "They care about what's happening in their backyard.". They dont want anyone getting injured or getting sued, so the guys just keep coming in and taking whatever they want.. "San Franciscans will have to determine what they can put up with," he added. Torrance and Valley Village are both in Los Angeles County, and about 32 miles apart. And if you need a one-liner for why Newsom is not the person to govern California, Newsom had this to say about the recall: Were going [to] defeat this partisan effort, and were going to work hard to do the work people sent us here to do. Recently, San Franciscos Neiman Marcus was targeted by thieves who had a hankering for designer handbags and hit the purse department hard. 'LAWLESSNESS': SAN FRANCISCO'S SHOPLIFTING PROBLEM INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATES BUSINESS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES. WebCalifornias $950 Theft Law turned shoplifting from a felony offense to a misdemeanor as long as the total stolen does not exceed the value of $950. All rights reserved. There have been several thefts inmajor cities across California, including theSan Francisco Bay area. by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. Why wont store employees do anything about this theft? Here is everything you need to know about the California $950 Theft Law. NBC Bay Area reported that a jewelry store in Southland Mall in Hayward, California, was targeted Sunday afternoon by about nine people who used hammers to smash cases before they fled. WebIn California, burglary means a person enters an inhabited residence such as a home, apartment, boat or warehouse with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any When not having the planned intent to steal, the crime becomes petty theft, which is also a misdemeanor crime. California will allow 63,000 prisoners, out of a population of 115,000, the possibility of early release. Stores often put the likes of toothpaste and shampoo behind security locks, as if they are high-end goods or the outlets are operating in Caracas, Venezuela. A Newport Beach attorney stands accused of living the high life in a Las Vegas casino for six months, spending and gambling away more than $10 million of other people's money. As the governor recall election looms just over a month away, Governor Newsom remains defensive and reactive and fails to provide a vision that Californians can buy into. https://www.newsweek.com/tj-maxx-shoplifting-video-california-1612480 Yvonne West, director of the State Water Resources Control Boards Office of Enforcement, told CNN that the board has recently received an uptick in complaints of stolen water. The most they do is record the thefts with their cell phones. Related: Three-Strikes Law: Which States Have it? And as weve seen in other places like New York City, store managers in California are telling their employees to not interfere with looters for fear of being branded as racists on social media or even run into lawsuits over alleged discrimination. With its eminent scholars and world-renowned library and archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind. Partisan effort? Series of high-end store robberies: 'Mob of people' storms, robs California Nordstrom, 'Sad day for San Francisco': Walgreens closing 5 more San Francisco stores due to organized shoplifting. California, she added, has seen its property and violent crime rates fall in recent years to historic lows in some cases as the state embarked on reforms. WebProgressives in California in recent years have strengthened property rightsto other peoples property. In 2020 alone, nearly 650,000 people left California for other states about 210,000 more than moved to California from elsewhere in the U.S. Police said over a dozen people in Chicago stole about $120,000 of items from a Louis Vuitton store on Nov. 17. Do that good work. If the good work had been done, there would be no recall. Timothy T. Williams Jr., who spent 29 years with the Los Angeles Police Department before he retired from its Robbery-Homicide Division, said he has also never seen so many suspects accused in a shoplifting incident. Defensively reacting to criticism and doing whatever it takes to deflect that criticism. In Palo Alto, police said two women were arrested after 30 to 40 people tried to break the glass door to a downtown boutique Sunday night. Your gift helps advance ideas that promote a free society. California could be so much better than it is with sensible policy changes that reduce business costs, reduce housing costs, provide reliable water during drought years, prevent wildfires, and. WebWhen most people think of burgling, they think of breaking into a building intending to steal something. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A Newport Beach attorney stands accused of living the high life in a Las Vegas casino for six months, spending and gambling away more than $10 million of other people's money. It is a local problem in smaller communities, West said. As officials move to crack down on the thieves, the drought which now covers every corner of the state threatens to create long-term impacts as climate change exacerbates the hot and dry conditions, creating a vicious feedback loop that becomes harder to break. WebIn Southern California, about 300 residents in the Antelope Valley saw their water system crash last year after thieves used water trucks to tap fire hydrants and water mains illegally. IE 11 is not supported. Newsom for being soft on crime.Read more: https://bit.ly/3x9X1suSubscribe to KTVU's YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhtkN7-c8mA8GXEoxS4YQw?sub_confirmation=1KTVU delivers the best in-depth reports, interviews and breaking news coverage in the San Francisco Bay Area and CaliforniaWatch KTVU's newscasts on https://www.ktvu.com/liveDownload KTVU's news and weather apps for free at https://www.ktvu.com/mobile-appsSubscribe to KTVU's newsletter at https://www.ktvu.com/newslettersFollow KTVU on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktvuFollow KTVU on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KTVUFollow KTVU on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktvu2/ Two men in a Los Angeles suburb were seen on camera brazenly leaving a TJ Maxx store with their arms full of shoplifted items. LA's top prosecutor is threatening a fight with auto companies to force change. Jerretta Sandoz told CBS LA of the incident. All Rights Reserved. And as weve seen repeatedly, when you stop enforcing the law, a certain percentage of the population will quickly move in to take advantage of the situation. Nissan Altima - Number of Thefts: 13,284 7. This trend has only accelerated during the ongoing riots, as cops are instructed to disperse looters rather than trying to arrest them. All six men have been arrested and were held 5.3. "But the problem is bigger than our city. With Black Friday and the start of Christmas shopping season, retailers say they're worried more robberies may be on the horizon. Most walk in, go about their pilfering, and then walk out, though at least one thief rode their bike into the store and departed the same way, carefully navigating their two-wheeler down a narrow aisle. As a result, businesses are shutting down for good. In recent years, some retail stores have been placing not only high-end items but everyday products like toothpaste and shampoo behind security locks. For those who have completed their time for a felony theft charge, the CA theft law allows them to file to change the felony to a misdemeanor, if applicable. California officials are trying to put a stop to a crime that would be odd in most parts of the country. An employee was pepper-sprayed, and two others were punched and kicked, a police spokesperson said. When more is stolen, the charge is referred to as wobbler meaning prosecutors can choose whether they would like to pursue a felony or misdemeanor charge. Store employees often don't feel comfortable getting involved, and some retailers have increased security presence but with limited results. Because of this law, California is extending an open invitation to anyone to walk in and take. "I can't believe I'm actually living this situation.". Many crimes dont even go reported. "So its not taken seriously.". Grab-and-run theft hits Southern Calif. Nordstrom, Thieves rushed into a Southern California Nordstrom store the night before Thanksgiving and ran off with pricey goods, police said, in the latest of a string of organized retail thefts. She knows of other friends and family members of King who were similarly bilked. Top 10 Most Stolen Cars in America 1. "They didnt even run out, they walked out," Los All rights reserved. The robbers were in and out of the store within a minute, police said. The steepest rise has been seen in whats referred to as mass grab and dash robberies, where crowds of people meet up and enter a business all at once and begin grabbing everything they can carry and running out. San Francisco, and the larger Bay Area, now could easily claim the title of Shoplifting Capital of the USA should it want the honor. California Theft Laws: Petty Theft, Grand Theft, & Shoplifting. WebThe state attorney general announced earlier this month that five defendants had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit organized retail theft after officials seized roughly $8m in It is not just pharmacies that are being ransacked. San Francisco Police Chief William Scott and Mayor London Breed acknowledged that while some crime is up, including aggravated assaults, homicides and incidents with guns, the overall numbers of violent and property crimes have fallen. WebDec. So is it any wonder that stores like Walgreens are packing up and fleeing the state? String of organized thefts: After Nordstrom robbery in California, will other retailers be next? Robbery Hoover Education Success Initiative | The Papers. Whenever we go in there, they always have problems with shoplifters., Mr. Luke has been posting photos of the shoplifting sprees. Why wont store employees often do n't feel comfortable getting involved, and two others were punched and kicked a! 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