As controversy grows over California’s law that treats theft under $950 as only a misdemeanor allegedly encouraging repeat offenders, local police have released footage of thieves being arrested.
According to Fox News and other local media, the Seal Beach Police Department released arrest footage on the 23rd.
The video shared by Seal Beach Police Department and local media shows three Black women committing theft at a large retail store in Seal Beach, Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles.
They picked up shopping baskets like regular customers and browsed the cosmetics section. After filling their baskets with various products, they casually walked out without paying.
However, the thieves who committed the theft with composure were arrested by police shortly after leaving the store. They allegedly stole approximately $650 worth of items from the cosmetics store alone. They are also accused of stealing merchandise worth $1,000 from another retail store.
What made this seemingly routine theft case notable was the conversation between the suspects after their arrest.
One of them asked her arrested companion with a puzzled expression, “This is a felony?” The companion replied, “It’s a new law. Theft is a felony now. There won’t be any leniency in Orange County anymore.”
Police revealed their identities and announced they were booked into Orange County Jail on charges including theft, conspiracy to commit crime, and resisting arrest.
The Seal Beach Police Department introduced the newly implemented ‘Proposition 36’ below the video.
Proposition 36, which took effect on the 18th, focuses on strengthening penalties for retail theft and drug possession. It nullifies the provision treating theft under $950 as a misdemeanor, which had been criticized for encouraging repeat offenders since its introduction in 2014. Notably, Proposition 36 allows prosecutors to charge theft under $950 as a felony rather than a misdemeanor if the suspect has two or more prior theft convictions.
According to Criminal Justice Commission research, theft crimes in LA increased by 60% in just four years from 2019 to 2023.
As petty theft incidents increasingly became a social issue, calls for stronger penalties grew louder. Recent polls showed 71% of California voters supported Proposition 36. Support was high among both Republican (85%) and Democratic (63%) voters.
