SAN DIEGO — California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for new laws to crack down on organized theft.
The governor announced he wants to hold criminals accountable and stiffen penalties in an effort to combat rampant retail theft and other crimes.
Closing down a business is the last thing an owner wants to think about, but for many small business owners across San Diego County, it’s an unfortunate reality they face on a daily basis.
“Nobody does anything. Nobody wants to risk their lives," said Octavio Vazquez, an employee at Luigi Vera, a small boutique in Hillcrest.
The store Vera works at has been hit as well.
“He put a lot of stuff into a bags, and he had a little weapon a knife or something. I was by myself and he tried to get into the counter," said Vazquez.
Vazquez says the store gets robbed at least 3 to 4 times a year. The last incident happened just weeks ago, after a man came in and took off with a bag full of unpaid merchandise. Vazquez was the only employee inside the store at the time.
“This time was the time I was more sacred, I was terrified because I didn’t know how he was going to react," he added.
Vazquez says the store has been dealing with theft for several years and says other businesses in the area are facing the same problem.
Earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsome announced he wants to crack down on these sorts of crimes which have plagued cities across California for years.
“It’s about time, yeah, absolutely," said Vazquez.
The governor called for new legislation expanding criminal penalties, bolstering police and prosecutor tools to combat theft and car burglaries.
There would also be increased penalties for large-scale stolen goods re-sellers.
San Diego District Attorney, Summer Stephan believes this is a step in the right direction.
“We were very grateful that Governor Newsom is bringing attention to this issue that he's focused on it and prioritizing it. It’s not just the billions and millions lost, it is also about the human impact on neighborhoods and people," said the district attorney.
Stephan has been outspoken about rampant retail theft and property crimes across San Diego County. Last month, she testified before congress about organized retail theft, calling it a threat to public safety.
“Organized retail theft and habitual recidivists theft are really impacting the feeling of public safety and the community fabric," she said.
Stephan believes the issue can’t be solved by the legislature, instead she says it’s ultimately up to voters.
Stephan believes it’s time to reform Preposition 47, a controversial law approved by voters in 2014, which set the felony threshold for petty theft and shoplifting at $950.
“We believe the solution is to go back to the people for Prop 47 to be reformed to be balanced, not thrown out. We believe that is the root of the issue since 2014," added Stephan.
Stephan recently filed a new proposition with the attorney general called The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act – which would make third time offenders face possible felony charges.
She believes it’s a fair and balanced solution and is hoping voters and the governor can support it.
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