Governor Gavin Newsom responded to an aggressive wave of robberies and business burglaries in California with a bipartisan package of ten new laws aimed at cracking down on property and retail crime with tougher sentences.
“Let’s be clear: This is the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history,” the governor said.
He thanked the bipartisan group of lawmakers, retail partners and advocates for putting public safety above politics.
“While some are attempting to force us back into ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better path forward: making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement stop criminals and hold them accountable,” the governor said.
The new laws provide for tougher criminal penalties for repeat offenders and additional tools for prosecuting serious crimes.
“A promise made is a promise kept: We are taking bipartisan action to make our communities safer and stronger,” said Senate President Mike McGuire.
“These ten critical bills will end retail theft, reduce local crime and help our downtowns thrive for decades to come.”
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said California’s hard-working business owners asked for help, and today they are introducing thoughtful and balanced new legislation that will protect their livelihoods, their workers and their customers.
“To those who blatantly harass and steal from our stores: accountability is here.”
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur said this legislation directly benefits Californians by addressing the urgent problem of retail crime, which affects shoppers, business owners and workers across our state.
“Many constituents have expressed concerns about local retail store closures, job losses, and safety. By working together with multiple stakeholders, we crafted a balanced solution that disrupts retail crime networks while upholding critical criminal justice reforms. This law is an important step toward making our communities safer and stronger.”
In January, Governor Newsom called on lawmakers from both parties to enact strong laws that would better help law enforcement and prosecutors protect communities and hold criminals accountable.
Today, Governor Newsom signed 10 new public safety laws to strengthen California’s existing law enforcement tools and better protect Californians.
What the new laws do
- It creates tougher penalties for people involved in retail and property theft, mandates sentencing increases for large-scale operations, and imposes aggravated felony charges and longer prison sentences.
- Strengthens existing laws to ensure that police can arrest retail theft suspects with probable cause, even if they did not witness a crime in progress.
- It makes it possible for prosecutors to combine the value of multiple stolen items, even across different victims and counties, to help meet the grand larceny felony threshold.
- Creates new penalties for criminals who damage businesses and property during robbery.
- Adds new and increased penalties for possession of stolen items from a vehicle with intent to resell them, and allows for the prosecution of thefts of automotive property regardless of whether the vehicle was locked.
- Maintains important retail organized crime statutes and task forces to protect communities. The Retail Organized Crime Act, which has been used effectively by the CHP and other retail organized crime task forces, expires on January 1, 2026.
The laws signed by the governor are:
AB 1779 by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin – jurisdiction over theft
AB 1802 by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer — Crimes: Organized Theft
AB 1972 by Assemblyman Juan Alanis — regional task forces on property crimes
AB 2943 by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas — Crimes: Shoplifting.
AB 3209 by Assemblyman Marc Berman — Crimes: theft: retail theft restraining orders
SB 905 Senator Scott Wiener – Crimes: Vehicle Theft
SB 982 by Senator Aisha Wahab — Crimes: Organized Theft
SB 1144 by Senator Nancy Skinner — Online Marketplaces
SB 1242 by Senator Dave Min — Crimes: Arson
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