SAN JOSE — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of bills on Friday intended to crack down on retail, property and auto theft.
The 10 bills, which were largely written in collaboration with representatives from big retailers, strengthen existing anti-theft laws and introduce some new legal approaches to prosecuting theft. They largely focus on mitigating organized retail theft.
“The issue of organized retail theft, the issue of serial theft — (that is) the issue that is front and center in the consciousness of so many Californians,” Newsom said. “This goes to the heart of the issue, and it does it in a thoughtful and judicious way.”
Related Articles
Plea deal reached in case of Fremont mother whose toddler overdosed on fentanyl
Cain Velasquez pleads no contest to shooting at man charged with molesting his son
What to know about Tim Walz’s 1995 drunken driving arrest and how he responded
What to know about the 5 people charged in Matthew Perry’s death
Investigators link 1973 Bay Area murder to 75-year-old Idaho man
The package of bills passed through the state legislature on Monday. Newsom signed the 10 bills at a Home Depot store in east San Jose, surrounded by state senators, representatives and other state leaders.
The bills include AB 2943, which allows multiple thefts to be aggregated together to meet the felony threshold of $950; AB 3209, which would allow courts to place restraining orders against those who stolen, vandalized or battered a retail employee; and AB 1960, which enhances sentences for destroying or damaging property.
Other bills extend the California Highway Patrol’s property crimes task force, enhance sentences for those who set fires during retail thefts and remove time restrictions on charging retail thefts.
“It’s not the end of a process,” Newsom said. “We’re still working on a number of other bills. We still have more work to do more broadly in this space, but this is a demonstrable advancement of that collective effort.”
Check back for updates on this developing report.
