As Californians vote on Prop. 36, Gov. Gavin Newsom touts efforts to combat retail crime
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday touted his administration’s recent efforts to crack down on retail theft, as polls show tough-on-crime Proposition 36 is poised to pass overwhelmingly.
While the governor opposes Prop. 36, he is not actively campaigning against it and acknowledged its likely passage.
“We know what’s going to happen – likely to happen – as it relates to Prop. 36,” he said. “I understand it and I just hope people take the time to understand what they’re supporting.”
A year after announcing $267 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies to address retail and auto thefts, Newsom said those resources have led to 10,138 arrests. He also touted increases in recruits with the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement.
Newsom signed a large retail theft bill package earlier this year and has repeatedly referred to Prop. 36 as “drug policy,” saying it would usher in a return to the “war on drugs.”
According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, Prop. 36 could lead to “a few thousand people” more in the state’s jails and prisons and could increase prison costs by tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
“I can’t in good conscience support it, just as someone that supports law enforcement, that’s never been part of the defund the police movement, … that believes we need to do more on quality of life,” Newsom said.
“We’ve seen demonstrable success and real progress,” Newsom said, though he acknowledged “it takes time for the data to come in” regarding crime rates.
Violent and property crimes are on the rise in California, though not nearly as high as the rates of the 1980s and 1990s. Nationally, violent crime dropped in 2023, according to the FBI.
State Sen. Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, critiqued Newsom’s lack of data, particularly around the more than 10,000 arrests he touted, and questioned how many of those people arrested were actually charged and served jail time.
“People can be arrested with a misdemeanor retail theft, but they can be out of jail almost immediately,” he said. “Some (district attorneys) don’t even prosecute misdemeanors.”
Niello also said he was “frustrated because for every CHP officer diverted to retail theft efforts, it’s another officer not patrolling and enforcing traffic laws on the streets.”
A news release from Newsom’s office said the grant funding helped lead to the arrest of a man suspected of stealing more than $17,000 in goods from the Apple store at the Roseville Galleria.
“Now more than ever, law enforcement is better organized, more quick to combat this issue in California,” said CHP commissioner Sean Duryee.
Newsom gave the update in a virtual press conference Monday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, the governor traveled across the southern border to visit sites along the Tijuana River with officials from Mexico and California. The visit came following reports of billions of gallons of water tainted by raw sewage flowing into the ocean and polluting nearby beaches.
Newsom said new infrastructure updates on either side of the border will help treat the Tijuana River’s waters.
“The good news is we’re making progress,” Newsom said. “The difficult news and the stubborn news is it’s not happening fast enough.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 4:40 PM.
