California Decriminalizes Shoplifting, Shoplifting Doubles
http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/262906/california-decriminalizes-shoplifting-shoplifting-daniel-greenfieldMay 18, 2016
Daniel Greenfield
Left-wing, conservative and libertarian pro-crime policies lead to a rise in crime. The left's insane propositions in California included Proposition 47 or the "Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act". That Orwellian name made as much sense as calling a bill to legalize arson the "Fire Prevention and Non-Torched Homes Act". Proposition 47 effectively decriminalized a bunch of crimes, including shoplifting.
And you'll never guess what happened next. Shoplifting. Lots and lots of shoplifting.
Perry Lutz says his struggle to survive as a small businessman became a lot harder after California voters reduced theft penalties 1½ years ago.
About a half-dozen times this year, shoplifters have stolen expensive drones or another of the remote-controlled toys he sells in HobbyTown USA, a small shop in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento. "It's just pretty much open season," Lutz said. "They'll pick the $800 unit and just grab it and run out the door."
Anything below $950 keeps the crime a misdemeanor — and likely means the thieves face no pursuit and no punishment, say retailers and law enforcement officials. Large retailers including Safeway, Target, Rite Aid and CVS pharmacies say shoplifting increased at least 15 percent, and in some cases, doubled since voters approved Proposition 47 and ended the possibility of charging shoplifting as a felony with the potential for a prison sentence.
Shoplifting reports to the Los Angeles Police Department jumped by a quarter in the first year, according to statistics the department compiled for The Associated Press. The ballot measure also lowered penalties for forgery, fraud, petty theft and drug possession.
Here's how this works.
Caught in possession of drugs? That usually means a misdemeanor citation under Prop 47, or essentially a ticket. Caught stealing something worth less than $950? That means a ticket, too. Caught using some of that $950 to buy more drugs? Another citation.
“It’s a slap on the wrist the first time and the third time and the 30th time, so it’s a virtual get-out-of-jail-free card,” said Shelley Zimmerman, who became San Diego’s police chief in March 2014. “We’re catching and releasing the same people over and over.”
Thanks Proposition 47. This is how awesome sentencing reform is.
There was the thief in San Bernardino County who had been caught shoplifting with his calculator, which he said he used to make sure he never stole the equivalent of $950 or more. There was the “Hoover Heister” in Riverside, who was arrested for stealing vacuum cleaners and other appliances 13 different times over the course of three months, each misdemeanor charge followed by his quick release.
It wasn't just the left though, some prominent "conservatives" made this happen too.
U.S. Sen. and 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul (R) praised Proposition 47 in June 2015. He said, "California’s actually done some good things. Proposition 47 about a year ago or six months ago took some of the minor drug felonies and made them misdemeanors and, from my understanding, you have more room in your prisons now for violent criminals. They’re not getting out early.
Even criminals have more common sense than Rand Paul.
There was also the known gang member near Palm Springs who had been caught with a stolen gun valued at $625 and then reacted incredulously when the arresting officer explained that he would not be taken to jail but instead written a citation. “But I had a gun. What is wrong with this country?” the offender said, according to the police report.
What's This?
Proposition 47 was backed by George Soros money. Gingrich wrote an editorial in support of it.
It is time to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on locking up low-level offenders. Proposition 47 on the November ballot will do this by changing six nonviolent, petty offenses from felony punishments (which now can carry prison time) to misdemeanor punishments and local accountability.
Local accountability is a punchline. Like restorative justice. You're supposed to laugh.
Here's how Gingrich's utopia works in real life.
“The ideal example of a Prop 47 case,” a public defender had written in a motion to delay sentencing, because Rabenberg had no history of violence and had never been convicted of selling drugs.
Rabenberg, who just weeks after being released because of Prop 47 was caught breaking the law again.
He was arrested for possession of meth on Jan. 2 and released from jail Jan. 3.
He was arrested for having drug paraphernalia on Feb. 6 and issued a citation.
He was arrested again for having drugs on Feb. 19. And then again on March 1. And then again on March 8. And then again on April 1.
By April 26, he had been arrested for six misdemeanors in less than four months and been released all six times, so he was free to occupy a table outside Starbucks when a man named Kevin Zempko arrived to have coffee with his wife. Zempko sat at a table next to Rabenberg, who was picking apart the seams of his coat and dumping the contents of his pockets onto the table: some nickels, two $1 bills, a few scraps of paper, a dingy plastic cup and a lighter. Zempko watched for a few seconds and concluded that Rabenberg was probably a vagrant and an addict. “I just felt bad for him,” he said.
Rabenberg noticed Zempko looking his way and began to stare back, mumbling, gesturing, standing up and now pulling something new from the pocket of his coat. It was a small wooden steak knife. Rabenberg slammed it down on the table. He picked it up again, jabbed at the air and started moving with the knife toward Zempko, who stood up and placed a chair between them.
But the police never called. The arrest had been for possession of drugs and brandishing a deadly weapon — both misdemeanors. Rabenberg was booked into jail and released three days later.
Next time any "conservative" activist tries to sell you on sentencing reform and nonsense about non-violent offenders, remind him what that looks like in real life.
Anyway Proposition 47 has ushered in a glorious new age where it's okay to steal from small businesses as long as you take less than 950 bucks.
A man released from prison because a prior felony conviction was reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47 was arrested last week for allegedly stealing a cash box from a Yuba City restaurant.
Local prosecutors critical of the initiative passed by voters in 2014 said the defendant is an example of a reoffending criminal who shouldn't be out of custody.
Adding to the frustrations of local officials, Austin Willis Jr., 53, was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting for the new crime, which Sutter County District Attorney Amanda Hopper said would have been charged as a felony prior to Proposition 47. He was also charged with a misdemeanor for possession of a drug pipe.
"This just goes to show you what a disaster Proposition 47 is for our community," Hopper said Tuesday.
"Prop 47 has really tied our hands and put violent criminals back on the street. Mr. Willis is just one example of these violent criminals returning to our community and re-offending."
On March 2, Willis was allegedly seen running out the back door of The Corner American Bistro on Plumas Street after a cash box was stolen. Video surveillance captured by a neighboring business also provided evidence pointing to Willis, court documents indicate. Yuba City police arrested Willis the next day and allegedly found him in possession of a glass methamphetamine smoking pipe.
His prior convictions were logged in Los Angeles and Kern counties. Willis had 14 felony convictions for robbery, burglary, and drug-related crimes when he was last incarcerated, beginning in 1997.
This is what "sentencing reform" actually looks like. Next time some "conservative" activist tries to sell you on it, ask him if he'd object to having 800 bucks stolen out of his pocket.
“Aren’t we lulling him into a sense of security?” Goldsmith said. “How does it end? There’s no more incremental punishment. We let the behavior continue. We let the problems get worse. And all we can do is wait until he does something terrible, until he stabs somebody or kills somebody, and then we can finally take him off the street.”
Pro-crime policies. They really work. For criminals.
