By Anabel Sosa | LA Times
SAN JOSE — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 10 bills in what he is calling an unprecedented effort to combat escalating retail crimes, car thefts and the sale of stolen goods, enacting stricter penalties for repeat offenders and enhanced tools for felony prosecutions.
“Let’s be clear, this is the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history. I thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers, our retail partners, and advocates for putting public safety over politics,” Newsom said in a statement Friday morning. “While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward — making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable.”
Newsom’s action comes eight months after he called on legislators to address rising retail thefts across the state, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when major California cities saw the most dramatic increase in property crimes. It also comes at a divisive moment for Democrats in the Golden State, who are at odds over how to respond to the increasing public concern about the rise in brazen thefts.
Read more at: LA Times
