State leaders express retail theft frustrations at California State Capitol
The dollar amount of stolen goods in California has more than doubled statewide. It's an issue that's become so bad in several cities, including Sacramento, that legislators are looking to change the laws.
More than 100 city leaders who were at the State Capitol in Sacramento with the California Contract Cities Association on Tuesday focused on issues like homelessness and retail theft – both big issues in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles County.
"We're beginning to see a broader impact regionally, not only in terms of revenue but in terms of the feeling of public safety," said Beverly Hills Mayor Dr. Julian Gold.
According to the California Department of Justice, thieves stole more than $4.2 million worth of goods statewide in 2022 – up from $2 million nearly a decade earlier.
"After the COVID-19 pandemic, so many of our local businesses are just starting to get back on their feet," said West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore John Erickson. "And with the rise of retail theft, businesses are now continually threatened by this other wave of economic hardship."
Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur is leading the charge as the chair of the select committee on retail theft, crafting legislative solutions to address the issue.
"What can we do to give law enforcement the tools they need to increase the likelihood of apprehension? How do we get to organized crime rings and target fencing operations and shut down their distribution channels, online and offline?" he said Tuesday at the Capitol.
All of them work together hoping everyone can buy into efforts to roll back retail theft in the Golden State.
The committee plans to hold additional hearings in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This comes amid a statewide initiative to qualify for the November 2024 ballot that would amend Prop 47, which lowered penalties for theft and drugs.