Growing up, I always heard how California was 20 years ahead of the rest of the country, an advanced society. It was the state that began “right turns on red.” In 1969, they were so progressive they instituted “no-fault divorce.”
Fast forward and, effective Nov. 5, 2014, Proposition 47 became law. Henceforth, anyone who took merchandise during regular business operating hours and if the value of said merchandise was less than $950, the crime was no longer a felony but simply a misdemeanor. They even gave it the specific crime name of “shoplifting.” The consequences were such that shoplifters would simply get a mild naughty-finger wave as opposed to the prior slap on the butt of a felony along with appropriate jail time.
Sadly, as with most legislation proposed by myopic folks, the California legislators never thought of the unintended consequences of their actions. It didn’t take long for the criminal element to start stealing $949 or less worth of stuff. Businesses had to put a lot of everyday items like toothpaste, deodorant, and laundry detergent under lock and key. Even underwear and socks are now locked up. It’s so bad that Walgreens locked up the frozen pizza and ice cream.
My cousin lives north of Oakland in a relatively safe area but she worries. Recently she took a late-night trip to the grocery store. Prior to parking, she waved down the security car and told him she had luggage in the backseat and could security keep an eye on it because she feared her windows being broken. The security guy agreed and had her park in a handicap spot which was more highly visible and better lit.
The governor of California is finally seeing the errors of Proposition 47. Shoplifting has become an organized business. Teams of individuals would go into stores and steal everything in sight to be resold for profit. There are some new proposed laws to combat the devastation that Proposition 47 has caused. One of the new laws would allow repeat offenders to have their crimes combined even if the amount was under the $950 threshold.
The same situation is happening here in Illinois. Our Illinois legislators need to pay heed to what’s been happening in California, especially in light of the SAFE-T ACT. It took California 10 years to recognize the stupidity of their decisions. We are headed in the same direction. Hopefully it won’t take our legislators that long to see the errors of their ways and amend some laws.