By Anabel Sosa | LA Times
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a package of 10 bills meant to combat retail theft, an effort that divided Democrats as they confronted key issues in the upcoming November election.
“Retail theft is not only bad for business, it also undermines safety,” Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), who leads a special committee created this year to address the issue, said during Monday’s vote on the Assembly floor. “I appreciate that there is a wide range of views in this body and the community, but getting this to the right place has been complicated. Many members of this body have raised concerns that are passionate and authentic, and I respect them.”
California lawmakers passed these bills to address crime:
AB 2943 allows felony charges on the third theft offense, aggregates dollar amounts and expands drug diversion programs.
AB 3209 allows a court to impose a restraining order for up to two years against a person who has stolen, vandalized or committed battery against an employee. It would also require the court to consider whether a person lives in a “food desert” and whether the store is the only location for necessities.
AB 1779 allows prosecutors to charge several offenses that took place across counties and handle them in a single court.
AB 1802 makes permanent the California Highway Patrol property crimes task force.
AB 1972 expands the California Highway Patrol’s property crimes task force program to include cargo theft and railroad police.
SB 905 creates two new “wobbler” offenses that can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors: breaking into a car with the intent to steal, and possessing property stolen from a car worth at least $950 with the intent to sell it.
SB 1242 gives a stiffer sentence to people convicted of setting fire on a retailer’s property to commit organized theft.
SB 1416 creates a sentencing enhancement for selling, exchanging, or returning for value an item acquired through shoplifting, burglary, or theft.
SB 1144 requires online marketplaces to collect information from high-volume third-party sellers and grants authority to district attorneys to bring civil actions to enforce violations.
SB 982 eliminates an end date on the crime of organized retail theft, allowing prosecution to occur indefinitely.
Read more at: LA Times
