Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Wednesday reestablishing the crime of organized retail theft, which lawmakers first created in 2018 but allowed to lapse as of July 1.
Prosecutors can now charge the crime as either a misdemeanor or a felony for those who work with others to steal merchandise from brick-and-mortar stores or online, with the intent to sell or return the merchandise.
The legislation also applies to someone who works with others to receive stolen merchandise, those who steal for others as part of an organized theft ring or people who do the recruiting or organizing for the theft ring.
"We’ve all seen the images of people rushing in," said Newsom of the viral photos and videos shared of these types of retail thefts. "We’ve seen them all across the state of California, those organized efforts."
"The video recently of thieves running out of Neiman Marcus with $50,000 worth of handbags, and other videos popping up all over the state," said KCBS' Phil Matier Thursday morning. "That is the perception and the optics that crime in California is getting out of control."
And optics is everything in politics, Matier added. With the recall election coming up, this move isn't surprising.
Newsom signed the law at a store in Long Beach, surrounded by several mayors and law enforcement officials.
Newsom said organized retail theft is more than just simple, low-level shoplifting and that the California Highway Patrol has not seen a lack of support from liberal prosecutors.
"I'm not willing to throw up my hands and suggest that somehow we're going to see a huge impediment to our collective effort to address these organized efforts," said Newsom.
The law also reinstates a California Highway Patrol task force that analyzes organized retail theft and vehicle burglary and helps law enforcement agencies in counties it identifies as having high property crime rates.
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