New California laws: Aim to Reduce Smash-and-Grab Robberies, Car Thefts and Shoplifting

According to Apnews California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bipartisan package of 10 bills aimed at tackling the rise of smash-and-grab robberies and property crimes in the state. The new legislation is designed to target repeat offenders, particularly shoplifters and auto thieves, while increasing penalties for those involved in organized retail theft and reselling schemes.

The move comes as California’s Democratic leadership faces mounting pressure to demonstrate a firm stance on crime. Voters are being urged to reject a November ballot measure, Proposition 36, which would impose even harsher penalties for repeat shoplifters and drug-related offenses.

Over recent years, California and other states have experienced a surge in smash-and-grab robberies, in which groups of thieves brazenly rush into stores, steal merchandise in plain sight, and often record the crimes for social media. This trend has brought heightened attention to the issue of retail theft across the state.

Governor Newsom hailed the new legislation as the most significant set of reforms to combat retail theft in years. Among the key measures, the bills allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods from multiple victims, enabling the imposition of more severe penalties. Additionally, the new laws permit arrests for shoplifting based on video footage or witness statements, and close loopholes in auto theft prosecutions.

“This goes to the heart of the issue, and it does it in a thoughtful and judicious way,” Newsom said. “This is the real deal.”

While the package received bipartisan support in the Legislature, some progressive Democrats withheld their votes, concerned that certain measures could be too punitive.

The legislation also includes provisions to address cargo theft and requires online marketplaces, such as eBay and Nextdoor, to collect bank account details and tax identification numbers from high-volume sellers to crack down on illegal reselling operations. Retailers will also be able to obtain restraining orders against convicted shoplifters under the new laws.

State Senator Nancy Skinner, one of the bill’s authors, emphasized the importance of balancing crime prevention with fairness. “We know that retail theft has consequences, big and small, physical and financial,” Skinner said. “And we know we have to take the right steps in order to stop it without returning to the days of mass incarceration.”

This legislative push comes after Democratic lawmakers, led by Newsom, spent months unsuccessfully attempting to prevent Proposition 36 from appearing on the November ballot. The measure, backed by a coalition of district attorneys, businesses, and local officials like San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, would make it a felony for repeat shoplifters and certain drug offenders.

Newsom has expressed strong opposition to Proposition 36, calling it a return to the “war on drugs” era and warning of the risks of mass incarceration. “That initiative is about going back to the 1980s,” Newsom said, vowing to fight against its passage.

The governor’s administration has spent $267 million to support local law enforcement agencies in increasing patrols, purchasing surveillance equipment, and prosecuting criminals. Despite these efforts, viral videos of large-scale thefts have heightened public concern about crime in California, with many residents voicing frustration over what they perceive as a growing lawlessness, exacerbated by the state’s homelessness crisis.

Although crime rates in California are still lower than they were decades ago, recent data from the Public Policy Institute of California shows a steady rise in shoplifting in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles between 2021 and 2022. The California Highway Patrol has recovered $45 million in stolen goods and arrested nearly 3,000 people since 2019, state officials reported.

Retailers and business owners have been especially vocal about the impacts of theft, with some stores closing their doors and locking up everyday items like toothpaste behind plexiglass. However, a lack of detailed data from many stores makes it difficult to accurately quantify the full extent of the retail crime problem in the state.

Governor Newsom, flanked by lawmakers and business leaders at a Home Depot store in San Jose, reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the state takes meaningful steps to tackle organized retail crime, while avoiding policies that would lead to excessive incarceration.

“This package of reforms is a critical step forward,” Newsom said, “but we must continue working together to ensure California remains safe for all its residents.”