SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the sore spots for Democrats running in deep-blue California can be accusations that they’re “soft on crime.”
So attempts to fight off that perception could be one way to look at the anti-crime bills that are being introduced in the first days of the legislative session, which coincides with the 2024 election campaign and with rising public concern about lawlessness.
Car break-ins and thefts, for example, have been a scourge for California cities, such as Oakland, where one car was stolen for every 30 residents last year. In a rare showing of bipartisanship on public safety, Sens. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, and Brian Jones, a Republican from San Diego, are backing a measure to make it easier to prosecute car break-ins.
Currently, to prove their car was broken into, victims have to also prove their car doors were locked. Not only does this require victims to testify in court (a hurdle that’s especially difficult for tourists visiting California), but other pieces of evidence such as video recordings, eye witnesses or a smashed window may not suffice. Senate Bill 905, which will be Wiener’s third attempt at introducing similar legislation, aims to close that loophole.
Retail theft has also been at the forefront of the Legislature’s agenda. Rumblings to revisit the controversial Prop. 47 — which voters approved in 2014 — had already preceded this session, with criticism at two separate hearings about retail theft that the measure has made it harder to prosecute shoplifters.
But it’s not just Republicans raising questions. Last week, Democratic Assemblymembers Carlos Villapudua of Stockton and James Ramos of San Bernardino introduced separate measures that would revise Prop. 47. Villapudua proposed a referendum to change the $950 threshold for shoplifting to be a felony, while Ramos’ bill would increase penalties for shoplifters who have multiple theft-related convictions.
And on Friday, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty told Politico he wants to “see how we can improve upon” Prop. 47. McCarty, a Democrat running for Sacramento mayor, is the new chairperson of the public safety committee, and his willingness to “take a thoughtful look back” on the measure and potentially go “back to the voters,” contrasts with his predecessor, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a Los Angeles Democrat whose thinking on criminal justice came under scrutiny last year.
Meanwhile, Gov. Newsom wants to crack down on property crimes, but avoid changing Prop. 47, Politico reported today. He wants lawmakers to create new categories of crimes targeting “professional” offenders who have stolen property or burglarized vehicles with the intent to resell them and to increase penalties for people who resell large amounts of stolen goods.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
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