Governor Gavin Newsom has called for new legislation expanding criminal penalties, bolstering police and prosecutor tools to combat theft and take down professional criminals who profit from smash and grabs, retail theft, and car burglaries.
The Governor’s legislative framework calls for the creation of new laws and expanding criminal penalties to crack down on professional thieves — those who profit from stealing goods for resale — bolstering law enforcement’s ability to arrest suspects, creating a new crime addressing organized auto burglary committed to resell stolen property, eliminating the sunset provision for the organized retail crime statute, and exploring increased penalties for high-volume resellers of stolen goods.
“Building on California’s existing laws and record public safety investments, I’m calling for new legislation to expand criminal penalties for those profiting on retail theft and auto burglaries. These laws will make California safer and bolster police and prosecutor tools to arrest and hold professional criminals accountable,” said Newsom in a statement.
Proposals within the framework include:
1) Cracking down on professional thieves: Creates new penalties targeting those engaged in retail theft to resell, and those that resell the stolen property — increasing felony penalties and prison time.
2) Increasing enforcement tools: Bolsters existing law to ensure police can arrest suspects of retail theft, even if they didn’t witness a crime in progress.
3) Aggregating theft amounts: Clarifies that the penal code allows law enforcement to combine the value of multiple thefts — even across different victims — to reach the threshold for grand theft.
4) Fighting auto burglary: Creates new penalties for professional auto burglary, increasing penalties for the possession of items stolen from a vehicle with intent to resell, regardless of whether the vehicle was locked.
5) Eliminating orc sunset provision: Eliminates the sunset date for the organized retail crime statute. The law, which has been effectively used by CHP and others in the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, is set to expire on January 1, 2026.
6)Increasing penalties for resellers: Explores strengthening the law to increase penalties for large-scale resellers of stolen goods.
According to Newsom’s office, the announcement builds on the Governor’s Real Public Safety Plan, which focuses on strengthening local law enforcement response, ensuring perpetrators are held accountable, and getting guns and drugs off our streets. In 2023, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in California history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety. Since 2019, the state has invested $1.1 billion to fight crime and improve public safety.
“I applaud Governor Newsom for prioritizing the fight against retail theft with his release of a strong legislative package ... I am confident that together, we will meet this moment with new approaches that are effective and protect our neighborhoods and hold professional criminals and repeat offenders accountable,” said Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.
California law provides existing robust tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to arrest and charge suspects involved in organized retail crime — including up to three years of jail time for organized retail theft. The state has the 10th lowest threshold nationally for prosecutors to charge suspects with a felony, $950. 40 other states — including Texas ($2,500), Alabama ($1,500), and Mississippi ($1,000) — require higher dollar amounts for suspects to be charged with a felony.
“Cal Retailers applauds the Governor for continuing to lead on the issue of Organized Retail Crime and working collaboratively with retailers on legislative proposals that provide real, tangible solutions to serial theft and Organized Retail Crime in California and prioritizing the safety of our consumers, employees, jobs and economy,” said California Retailers Association President and CEO Rachel Michelin. “Newsom’s legislative package addressing ORC and property crimes announced today is yet another huge step in the right direction on tackling this problem.
I and the members of the California Retailers Association appreciate that the Governor and his team listened to our concerns related to ORC/Retail theft and we look forward to continuing to work with the Administration, the Speaker of the Assembly, President pro Tem and members of the legislature on important policies that protect California’s retail employees, our customers and the neighborhoods in which retailers operate in.”
Submitted by the Governor’s Office
