Sacramento, CA – During a recent Zoom forum focused on a mental health initiative, California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a personal encounter with retail theft, highlighting the ongoing challenge of shoplifting in the state. The incident, which Newsom witnessed firsthand at a Target store, sparked an unexpected conversation with an employee who initially criticized the governor’s policies without recognizing him.
The Mercury News reported that Newsom recounted being in the checkout line when he and a store worker observed a shoplifter exiting the store without paying for merchandise. Questioning why the thief was not stopped, the employee pointedly blamed California’s governor for enabling such crimes through lenient policies. “Oh, the governor,” the worker said, according to Newsom. “The governor lowered the threshold, there’s no accountability.”
In response, Newsom clarified the misconceptions about California’s Proposition 47, explaining to the still-unaware clerk that the law categorizes property thefts totaling $950 or more as felonies, ranking it as the tenth strictest in the United States. This clarification comes as California grapples with a significant increase in retail thefts, prompting discussions on how to effectively address the issue while balancing legal and social implications.