The issue of crime, particularly property theft and shoplifting crimes have been plaguing the Sacramento area for 10 years. Based on increasing statistics from The Public Policy Institute of California shoplifting has increased 40% since 2023. This increase in crime affects small businesses and communities the most.

“California has seen a troubling increase in property theft and crime since the passing of Prop 47. This surge in crime directly impacts our small businesses, leading to financial losses, higher insurance premiums, and a persuasive sense of insecurity,” Joe Patterson, California Assemblyman of the 5th district said.

In 2014 California voted on Proposition 47 which states that burglars won’t receive a misdemeanor if the value of the item’s they steal are less than $950. This proposition has proven to be problematic for small business owners as there has been a 9% (135 more thefts per 100,000) increase in larceny theft since the enactment of the proposition.

The goal of Proposition 47 was to halt overcrowding in jails. While the Proposition has succeeded in this regard it has also caused less punishment for criminals who commit property theft. In 2013 (a year before Prop 47 was enacted) the rate of property crime leading to arrests were 15%, whereas nine years later in 2022 the rate decreased to 6.6%.

Repeat offenders of crime in particular have had a significant impact on small businesses in California.

“It’s (repeat offenders of crime have) had a devastating effect on many small businesses you’ve seen. You know, across the state, there are a number of small businesses that have had to close simply because of the impact of retail theft and other crimes. When you have … small businesses that are operating on very thin margins, sometimes, if they lose a large percentage of their inventory to theft, then it becomes really hard for them to stay in business,” Kevin Kiley, the U.S. representative for California’s 3rd congressional district, said.

A new proposition on the ballot, Proposition 36, is aiming to reduce the negative implications of Proposition 47. Prop 36 turns the misdemeanor of stealing less than $950 two or more times into a felony, which can lead to a jail sentence of up to three years.

“I’m very supportive of an initiative that’s on the ballot right now called Proposition 36 that is going to make it so the folks who keep stealing time and time again that they actually have to face consequences for that criminal activity, and that’ll serve as a deterrent to these crimes less common,” Kiley said.

Repeat offenders of theft have led to massive amounts of money loss for small businesses, and large businesses alike which are extremely difficult to recover from.

“We need to be able to hold people who are stealing from those businesses accountable. A large number of businesses have closed in response to repeat thefts. Small businesses can’t handle people coming in and having people stealing hundreds and hundreds of dollars; large businesses can’t either, but there’s much less margin for profit in small businesses,” Morgan Gire, the District Attorney of Placer County, said.

The state of California has also made it more difficult for law enforcement to hold individuals accountable for the crimes they commit.​​ The inability to impose punishments has led to the increase we have seen in the recidivism rate which is “unsurprising” according to Gire.

“As district attorney, I do know that the theft problem is driving a lot of the closing of businesses, because businesses simply can’t survive if people keep coming in and stealing from them so if we can hold those thieves accountable businesses will thrive,” Gire said.

Businesses that were forced to close due to rampant theft in the bigger cities have found a new home in Placer County because of the county’s willingness to prosecute criminals where it is due.

“The short answer is no in terms of increasing penalties or accountability […] over the last 10 – 15 years [California] has been in sort of what we call a criminal justice reform movement,” Gire said.

Along with this the state has been closing down prisons to artificially lower the prison population which DA Gire said we need to be more “tactical” in who we release from prison and not just randomly as the state is now.

“Prop 47 reduced accountability for thieves whether you steal one time or you steal 40 times you’re treated the same, and a one size fits all approach in the criminal justice system is not appropriate every case is different, every victim is different, every defendant is different,” Gire said.

This story was originally published on GraniteBayToday.org on November 4, 2024.