Written by William Hekman
The smash-and-grab retail thefts have plagued the state of California, and it is an unavoidable crime right now with Christmas just under two weeks away and retail shops already under immense pressure with the supply chain crisis still ongoing. Many stores in places like San Francisco have had to bring in extra security or change hours in order to save themselves from being victims. The uptick in retail crime can be attributed to the passage of Prop 47 back in 2014, and many people are criticizing its passage.
Sacramento County DA Anne Marie Schubert said that Prop 47 is, “the biggest con job in California history”. Schubert also said, “ criminals have been laughing at us…. There’s a clear belief — and very large reality — that there’s no consequences anymore to theft…. You tell everybody we’re not going to hold anybody accountable, and guess what’s going to happen?” The two people most responsible for the passage of Prop 47 are its author, then San Francisco D.A George Gascon who is now the D.A in Los Angeles, and its biggest supporter then Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. While Newsom has recently said that those who are committing smash-and-grabs will be prosecuted, he has still defended Prop 47 saying that property crimes are down because of its passage, “ Prop. 47 has been conveniently used, from my humble perspective, as an excuse for things that don’t necessarily have to be” said Newsom last week. Schubert said in response to Newsom, “ Those who say thefts are down have no concept of reality. You can walk into any grocery store and spend a half-hour and watch it happen.” Schubert is certainly correct in her assessment and Newsom can not track back his support of Prop 47 because he has bought into the left’s position on crime which is to have very little, if any, punishment for these crimes.
One Democrat has called out Newsom, Assemblyman Jim Cooper from Elk Grove. Cooper said, “The governor is wrong. Shoplifting has been decriminalized, so it’s underreported. They’re not going to file a report. Police don’t respond.” Cooper is a former sheriff captain from Sacramento County. Cooper even said that there is, “a direct correlation between rampant serial theft and voters being duped by proponents of Proposition 47. We are watching an epidemic of theft caused by Proposition 47 that over promised and under delivered.”
Another massive criticism of Prop 47 has been that the money saved in reducing sentences would go to mental health and drug treatment, but that has not been the case. Regardless, Prop 47 has been a massive failure for California and should be quickly overturned.
Photo Cred: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
