LAWMAKERS have launched a crackdown on shoplifting as local law enforcement claim officials have taken a pro-criminal position.
On Monday, officials from across California gathered at a conference to discuss proposed Assembly Bill 1772 which calls for stricter penalties for repeat offenders of retail theft.
It comes after Proposition 47, which was introduced in 2014, classified thefts under $950 as a misdemeanor which can see people get up to six months in county jail.
However, Prop 47 does not apply to all retail crimes and as crime statistics from the California Department of Justice show that shoplifting has increased since 2020, lawmakers want to see more done to tackle such crime.
Under AB 1774, a person convicted of a third theft crime would be given jail time of between one and three years.
“This is a common sense nonpartisan bill that would implement a measure of consequence for repeat shoplifters,” San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman said at the press conference.