Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced the California Highway Patrol will conduct “proactive law enforcement operations” to combat retail theft as people flock to stores for Christmas shopping.
Retail theft has been a major issue in the Golden State in recent years, with the state legislature passing new laws to combat the issue and voters approving a tough-on-crime ballot measure that increased penalties for retail theft. Newsom touted recent efforts to push back on rampant retail theft with the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which the state says has made more than 1,200 arrests since the beginning of the year.
“California continues to crack down on organized crime. The CHP officers facilitating this effort are hard at work each day and will continue to protect and serve California’s consumers through the holiday season, including the upcoming Black Friday shopping sprint,” Newsom said in a statement.
The governor’s office said that the California Highway Patrol will work with allied law enforcement agencies to conduct various operations as they seek “to dismantle known boosters and fencing operations tied to organized retail crime.”
“Through our unwavering dedication and collaboration, the Organized Retail Theft Task Force has established a new standard in combating theft, achieving record-breaking results in investigations, arrests, and asset recovery,” California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement.
“As we approach the holiday shopping season, we will work diligently to enforce California’s organized retail crime laws and protect businesses and communities throughout the state,” he added.
Newsom and Democrats in the state legislature championed a slate of bills passed earlier this year that made it easier for retail theft crimes to be prosecuted. Yet, many did not support Proposition 36, which rolled back a 2014 ballot measure that weakened penalties on some retail theft crimes.
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Proposition 36 will allow felony charges for certain drug possessions and thefts under $950 in value for offenders who have two prior similar convictions, along with other changes to increase prison sentences for some drug and theft crimes. It passed by a roughly 68.4%-31.6% margin in the Golden State earlier this month and is expected to go into effect in the coming weeks.
The increased focus on curbing retail theft comes ahead of the busiest shopping season of the year, with various sales and promotions related to the Christmas holiday.
