Target and Walmart support stricter shoplifting laws
California February 15, 2024
Both Target (TGT) and Walmart have closed stores in areas of the country where thefts from their stores have increased sharply. In some cases, that has been because the markets those stores operate in don’t have store-friendly laws in place.
That’s particularly true in California, where a law passed in 2014, Proposition 47, made the type of theft that happens in retailers like Walmart and Target a misdemeanor and not a felony.
“The law made some nonviolent property crimes, where the value does not exceed $950, into misdemeanors,” the Los Angeles County Public Defender posted on its website. “It also made some simple drug-possession offenses into misdemeanors. It also provides that past convictions for these charges may be reduced to a misdemeanor by a court.”
Basically, Proposition 47 made it not worth it for retailers to involve law enforcement in most instances of shoplifting. The rule effectively enabled shoplifting because criminals knew they could pretty brazenly steal and would probably not even get arrested if caught.
Now, Walmart and Target have thrown their support behind an effort to make some major changes to Proposition 47.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan have served as the lead voices for the effort to change Proposition 47. Walmart has donated $1 million to the cause while Target has put up $500,000.
The attempt to change the law, which would appear on the ballot during the state’s next statewide election, would “allow separate thefts to be added up to surpass the $950 threshold for felony charges, and it would also ramp up sentencing for people working as a group to steal goods or for taking more than $50,000 in property,” Supermarket News reported.
If the rule change passes, it would enable both retailers to use security footage to build cases against repeat offenders. It would also continue to protect people who fail to scan an item or make another mistake that may or may not be an attempt at shoplifting.
Organized retail crime has been growing and California is not the only state taking steps to prevent it. The National Retail Federation has been working with Congress and various states to pass laws that make it easier to go after people who work in groups to steal from stores.
“In addition to efforts in Congress, [the retail federation] has worked closely with state lawmakers, local law enforcement, and news media across the country to draw attention to [organized retail crime,”] the trade association said on its website.
“The effort has been successful, with at least 32 states passing ORC laws, and NRF is currently urging states to update the definition of ORC and adopt sufficient criminal penalties.”
Despite those efforts, 87% of retailers surveyed by NRF say that a national law is needed.
