SACRAMENTO – On Monday afternoon, California lawmakers and law enforcement agencies gathered at the Governor’s Press Room in Downtown Sacramento to address the punishment of repeat retail theft offenders.
Assemblymember James Ramos authored the bill that he said will swing back the pendulum on retail theft. Assembly Bill 1772 would require jail time for repeat theft offenders.
He introduced the bipartisan bill at the beginning of 2024 along with authors Assemblymember Avelino Valencia and Devon Mathis.
“It’s devastating,” said Josh Varner, owner of Zanzibar Fair Trade Imports on Broadway in Sacramento. “It’s an enormous violation that honestly is not easily recoverable from.”
Varner’s shop was hit by a thief last October who stole $100,000 worth of antiques that were a thousand years old.
“I’m still really torn up about it quite frankly,” he said. “It’s going to be a long time before we can fully pick up the pieces, emotionally speaking.”