A coalition in California, which has the support and backing of large corporations such as Walmart and Target has hit their goal for signatures. They were collecting signatures on an issue, needing to get a certain amount of them in order to get their initiative on the ballot for the state in the upcoming November election. The initiative aims to amend the currently in place measure of Prop 47, which passed in 2014. This prop changed certain shoplifting and drug dealing charges from felonies to misdemeanors. At the time, these changes were made in order to help ease some overcrowding issues that jails were experiencing. That issue has been solved and now people criticize California saying the state is too lax on criminal issues. The group organizing the signature campaign in order to get a measure on the ballot that would change this is Californians for Safer Communities.

According to the group and other critics, large-scale thefts have become a norm in big retailers with little repercussions for the thieves.

In 2021 and 2022, the Bay Area in Northern California and the Los Angeles area in Southern California saw a steep incline in the amount of shoplifting that occurred. This information is according to a study primarily conducted by a non-partisan group, the Public Policy Institute of California. They also found that shoplifting increased across the state as a whole; however, the rate was still lower than it had been pre-COVID 19 pandemic in 2019. This is because there had been a drop in 2020 in the statewide shoplifting rates, likely due to the pandemic itself.

With the signature goal being met, the Californians for Safer Communities is working to finalize the ballot measure’s wording.

What we do know for now is that the measure will move to amend Prop 47 by making harsher penalties, in particular for repeat offenders of shoplifting as well as fentanyl dealers. Per the new law, regardless of the amount stolen, a person who has two prior theft convictions would be charged with a felony on their third conviction. Additionally, a new court mandated drug treatment program would be implemented into use for people who have multiple drug possession convictions under their belt.