Newsom signs bill to reinstate tough penalties for robbery in California

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Thursday that reinstates tough penalties for those who commit grand theft and robbery crimes that continue to frustrate voters across the state.

Under the new law, prosecutors would be required to impose stiffer penalties on people who damage or destroy property worth more than $50,000 while committing a crime.

A similar law expired in 2018, but the new law will expire in 2030.

“California already has some of the toughest retail and property crime laws in the country, and we’ve 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.”

City of SACRAMENTO Law Firm Reportedly Threatened With Fine For Store For Reporting Theft Crimes

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that would toughen penalties for retail theft. (AP photo/Steven Senne)

Newsom’s decision to restore harsh penalties comes as Democratic lawmakers are trying to convince voters that they are tough on crime. At the same time, those same lawmakers are trying to convince voters to reject a ballot measure that would impose even harsher penalties for repeat offenders on shoplifting and drug charges.

In California, shoplifting is a growing problem, although large-scale thefts have become a crisis not only in the Golden State, but across the country.

Smash-and-grab robberies are usually carried out by groups who storm stores and snatch merchandise in plain sight. The crimes are often captured on video and posted to social media, drawing attention to the state’s shoplifting problem.

Sacramento mass shooting suspect found dead in jail cell awaiting trial

Video footage of a shocking robbery shows a Sunnyvale jewelry store being held up by suspects armed with tools and hammers. (KTVU film)

Newsom’s new law is part of a bipartisan legislative package of about a dozen bills aimed at cracking down on thefts. The bills also make it easier for prosecutors to prosecute repeat shoplifters and car thieves, while increasing penalties for those who operate professional resale schemes.

“Violent sledgehammer crimes and flash mob attacks by organized gangs must stop now,” House Speaker Robert Rivas, who authored the bill, said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “Our business owners and workers should not have to live in fear that these crimes will come to their doorstep.”

The California Retailers Association also supports the measure, saying the new penalties would “act as a deterrent to smash-and-grabs and retail crime.”

NEWSOM PROPOSES DEFUNDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, PRISONS, PUBLIC SAFETY AS CALIFORNIA FACES MASSIVE DEFICIT

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Dublin, California, on December 17, 2021, about high-profile robberies at expensive stores. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Opponents of the bill, including public defenders and criminal justice advocates, argue that the new legislation will lead to more people being sent to prison for crimes unrelated to shoplifting.

Opponents say prison sentences would increase for a wide range of crimes. For example, someone who damages vehicles while driving under the influence could face harsher sentences under the new law.

Opponents also said the new law is based on a proposed tough-on-crime initiative that Newsom and Democratic lawmakers had criticized for months, ultimately losing efforts to keep the measure off the ballot.

“If we’re against it being permanent, why aren’t we against it being temporary?” Taina Vargas, executive director of Initiate Justice Action, told the press service about the new law. “This makes it clear that certain individuals in the legislature and the governor just want to appear as if they’re doing something.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Newsom administration has spent $267 million to help dozens of local law enforcement agencies increase patrols, purchase surveillance equipment and prosecute more criminals.

According to Newsom’s office, 6,900 people have been arrested for shoplifting statewide in the first six months of operation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.