Is Gov. Newsom Ignoring Fallout from Prop. 47 or Misled by his Staff?

Thanks to Prop. 47, stealing is normalized and legalized in California.  Steal under $950 and at worst you get a ticket—and in counties like LA and San Fran, nothing will happen.  Yet, Newsom thinks the laws are OK—he does not want to repeal Prop. 47.

“Proposition 47 fundamentally changed the criminal justice system in California when it comes to serial theft and drug possession. The measure changed the threshold of felony theft from $400 to $950, but even more importantly, it eliminated the offense of “petty theft with a prior.” Before Proposition 47, a second petty theft conviction could be prosecuted as a felony crime, holding criminals accountable, especially serial criminals. This no longer applies.

When Governor Newsom touted that California had a “tough” threshold for felony theft, he was missing the point, or being misled on that point. The threshold is nearly irrelevant because of how petty theft crime is dealt with in the state of California. As the laws are being applied in the state of California, there is no consequence for petty theft. Often, we see the same people committing the same crime day after day with virtually no consequences. When there are no deterrents and no consequences, law enforcement’s hands are tied.  

Thanks to Newsom and the Democrats, California is a war zone.  Crime is tolerated and even promoted.  Newsom is begging criminals from foreign countries to come into California.  He is offering free health care, free housing, free education—protection from deportation—and all the crime you can commit.  Until the Governor and Soros DA’s stop their promotion of crime via their policies, no one is safe in California.

Is Gov. Newsom Ignoring Fallout from Prop. 47 or Misled by his Staff?

The criminal justice system in California is seriously damaged, but it’s not broken

By Mike Moulton, California Globe,  2/14/24   https://californiaglobe.com/fr/is-gov-newsom-ignoring-fallout-from-prop-47-or-misled-by-his-staff/

By now, many people have seen the viral video of Governor Gavin Newsom recounting a story of witnessing a theft inside a Target store. As he told the story, he revealed that he expressed bewilderment to the cashier of why nothing was being done about this blatant disregard for the law.  In the story, Newsom quoted the cashier, saying it was the “Governor’s fault” and there was no “accountability” for retail theft. 

Our Governor, very earnestly, goes on to make an impressive and steadfast claim that California has the “tenth toughest” threshold for felony theft in the country. Does he believe that the current laws in the state of California are sufficient to address the current retail theft crisis? For a moment, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that if he truly does believe this, maybe he is being misled by those with who he has surrounded himself.

As a police chief, my expertise is narrowly focused in the fields of public safety, law enforcement, and the legislation that affects it all. A governor is expected to know everything, which is simply not possible, and is why they encircle themselves with experts to help them develop policy. I would expect Governor Newsom to have on his staff, an expert in public safety, and more specifically, law enforcement and policing. If he does, and this person is telling the Governor that our current approach in California to retail theft is sufficient, that person is either misinformed and not an expert in this field, or worse, and exponentially more dangerous, is deliberately lying to Governor Newsom. 

The criminal justice system in California is seriously damaged, but it’s not broken. It’s sick and needs healing, but it’s not dead. Specifically with theft, the biggest changes came in 2014 through the passage of Proposition 47. This ballot measure, with the misleading title of the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” passed by nearly 60 percent. I’ve been in law enforcement for over 28 years, Proposition 47 had nothing to do with safe neighborhoods and schools. In fact, it has quite obviously made them less safe in most circumstances. The voters were lied to, through the use of fraudulent language, which happens far too often. 

Proposition 47 fundamentally changed the criminal justice system in California when it comes to serial theft and drug possession. The measure changed the threshold of felony theft from $400 to $950, but even more importantly, it eliminated the offense of “petty theft with a prior.” Before Proposition 47, a second petty theft conviction could be prosecuted as a felony crime, holding criminals accountable, especially serial criminals. This no longer applies.

When Governor Newsom touted that California had a “tough” threshold for felony theft, he was missing the point, or being misled on that point. The threshold is nearly irrelevant because of how petty theft crime is dealt with in the state of California. As the laws are being applied in the state of California, there is no consequence for petty theft. Often, we see the same people committing the same crime day after day with virtually no consequences. When there are no deterrents and no consequences, law enforcement’s hands are tied.  

A current push for a new ballot measure to turnaround the disastrous effects from Proposition 47 is underway. The “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act” is supported by law enforcement, public safety leaders, business owners, and retailers throughout California. If you want to reduce retail theft and add consequences for repeated violations of the law, I invite you to consider signing a petition to place this measure on an upcoming ballot. You can learn more about this measure at casafecommunities.com. 

I plead to the Governor once more – if he is being told by his staff, by his “experts,” that current California laws are sufficient, those “experts” are grossly misinformed. There are many law enforcement leaders including police chiefs, county sheriffs, and district attorneys who would be more than happy to meet with him to brief him on the reality of the situation.