Posted on 05/15/2016 12:48:06 PM PDT by StCloudMoose
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.
Public Policy Institute of California researcher Magnus Lofstrom noted a troubling increase in property crime in California's largest cities in the first half-year after Proposition 47 took effect. Preliminary FBI crime reports show a 12 percent jump in larceny-theft, which includes shoplifting, but he said it is too early to determine what, if any, increase is due to the ballot measure.
The increase in shoplifting reports set up a debate over how much criminals pay attention to penalties, and whether law enforcement is doing enough to adapt to the legal change.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Given the rise in illegal aliens, and the fact that many libtards feel that it is only “fair” that these illegal parasites also be allowed to vote; is it any wonder that the voters decided to raise the felony limit to $1,000?
Seeing the success in now being able to rob stores with greater impunity, of items below $1,000; I would suspect the next effort is to raise the felony limit to $5,000. After all, a Felony conviction means voting may be a little more difficult, unless Hillary wins the Presidental election.
With the DNC doing everything they can to remove any stigma attached to ciminal activity, they are encouraging criminal activity; the problem is that Libtards are simply too stupid to realize the damage they are causing society.
OK, the people basically voted for a tax on themselves, to “redistribute the wealth”. In a perfect world, prices at the stores would go up so that they can continue to profit, customers would pay more, thieves would get their stuff for free. Great!
Unfortunately, what will happen is that prices for places like that described here will go up, paying customers will mail-order it cheaper, the merchant goes out of business, the local tax base erodes and unemployment goes up...more “unintended consequences”.
Too bad - the land of beautiful weather, amazing beaches, and lovely girls has transformed itself into a Venezuela-style Marxist sh*t hole.
Things will continue to get worse.
“Given the rise in illegal aliens, and the fact that many libtards feel that it is only “fair” that these illegal parasites also be allowed to vote; is it any wonder that the voters decided to raise the felony limit to $1,000?”
Don’t blame the voters. It’s the Democrat supermajority in Sacramento that is the result of decades of Open Border Republicans and their Democrat comrades in Washington DC. Mass immigration from the 3rd world turned California from Reagan Country into what it is now.
Don’t keep the units in the boxes on the shelves. When payment in full is received, the product comes out of safekeeping in back and is boxed for the customer.
Oh, it’s just “rich” guys anyway. The people are entitled to steal from the rich! Power to the people!
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