Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday touted the results of a yearlong crackdown on retail theft across the state, an announcement that aligns with his strong opposition to an anti-crime measure on the Nov. 5 ballot that , he believes, would return California to the ineffective criminal justice policies of the past.
“Almost exactly a year ago, we initiated the largest support to local law enforcement agencies that has ever been provided to the state of California…related to retail theft,” Newsom said during a news conference Monday afternoon. “I really want to show the results of these arrests.”
The $267 million grant helped 55 California cities and counties reduce retail theft and auto theft crimes. Newsom said that effort led to 3,200 arrests and the recovery of more than 3,000 stolen cars and $46 million in stolen merchandise in the past nine months.
This is not the first time Newsom has noted the state's progress in combating property theft, but his announcement comes just a week before the election, when California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 36. ballot measure would impose stricter penalties for retail theft and fentanyl-related crimes.
That measure would undo parts of Proposition 47, a 2014 voter-approved criminal justice reform measure that reclassified some property and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. That reform has been disparaged by critics who claim there was an increase in property crimes and lawlessness after its passage, despite a recent report by a think tank that found little evidence to suggest that Proposition 47 is directly responsible for fluctuations in property and drug crimes over the decade. from.
Newsom and some Democrats have warned voters to look cautiously at Proposition 36, which they say would eliminate current state savings allocated to anti-recidivism programs and dramatically increase the prison population.
But Californians don't seem to be swayed by his opposition. More than 70% of voters said they would vote in favor of the measure, according to the most recent poll published by the Public Policy Institute of California.
Meanwhile, the Yes on 36 campaign, funded by Walmart and other big retailers, launched a new TV advertisement this weekend with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who recently announced he will run for governor in 2026.
Villaraigosa previously ran a failed offer for governor in 2018 and failed to make it past the primaries. He is the only current candidate for governor who supports Proposition 36.
Villaraigosa made a cameo in the 31-second ad promoting Proposition 36 as a “balanced approach” to reducing crime.
One of Villaraigosa's signature efforts as mayor was to increase the number of Los Angeles Police Department officers to more than 10,000. He attributed that effort to a 48% drop in violent crime during his tenure on the City Council.
Also appearing in the Proposition 36 announcement is Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, who has been one of the measure's most prominent supporters.
Newsom, at Monday's news conference, dismissed speculation that his administration could challenge Proposition 36 in court if voters approve it.
“We will do whatever the voters support,” Newsom said.
