Newsom signs measure toughening penalties for ‘smash-and-grab’ robberies

California will impose new penalties on those who damage or destroy property worth more than $50,000 while committing a crime, including shoplifting, after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill Thursday aimed at curbing grand theft and violent robbery.

“California already has some of the toughest retail and property crime laws in the country — and we made them even stronger with our recent legislation,” Newsom said in a statement. “We can be tough on crime, but we can also be smart about crime — we don’t have to go back to the broken policies of the last century.”

The bill, known as AB 1960, was introduced by state Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D), who said, “Violent ‘sledgehammer crimes’ and flash mob attacks by organized gangs must stop now… our business owners and employees should not have to live in fear that these crimes will arrive on their doorstep.”

The signing follows a bipartisan package of 10 bills aimed at tackling property crime and the state’s investment of $267 million in local grants to help law enforcement tackle organized criminal activity.

So far, more than 6,900 suspects have been arrested for retail and property crimes by agencies that received the grant, according to a news release from Newsom’s office. Since 2019, California has invested $1.1 billion to fight crime, hire more police and improve public safety, it added.

According to reports earlier this year, the California Highway Patrol had recovered $45 million in stolen property and arrested nearly 3,000 people since 2019. The agency has sent officers to hot spots in Oakland, Bakers fieldAnd San Francisco to improve response time to crimes.

According to a study by the independent Public Policy Institute of California, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles saw a steady increase in shoplifting between 2021 and 2022.

In November, Californians will vote on Proposition 36, which would create felonies for repeat shoplifters, some drug charges and other misdemeanors. The proposal would repeal parts of Proposition 47, a landmark bill that changed many crimes in the state from misdemeanors to infractions.

According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 88 percent of retailers reported an increase in confrontational and violent behavior by shoplifters in the past year.

Safe and Sound Security, a private security firm, reported that 14 of California’s 15 largest counties have seen an increase in commercial burglaries, while the state’s smaller counties have seen a decrease.

Lawmakers and other proponents of AB 1960 say it will bring about much-needed change.

“By imposing stiffer penalties based on the value of stolen property, we are sending a strong message to criminals that profiting from the property of others will not be tolerated,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “This legislation is vital to ensuring that those who continue to undermine the well-being of our community face appropriate consequences, ultimately creating a safer environment for everyone.”