San Bernardino County Sheriff visits Sacramento to support bill centering on retail theft

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus joined state and city officials in Sacramento to support a proposed bill that would create harsher penalties for retail theft crimes.

On Monday, a press conference was held to discuss Assembly Bill 1772, which would require jail time for three-peat offenders of theft crime.

If the bill is passed, penalties for crime theft could range from one to three years. The bill seeks to change Proposition 47, a policy passed by voters in 2014 that classified thefts under $950 as a misdemeanor.

Being held accountable

Right now, punishments for simple crime thefts under $950 can include up to six months in jail, according to state law. Any thefts above that limit are already considered a felony.

The bill would not change the limit.

Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra told the Daily Press Tuesday that she supports the passing of AB 1772.

“When you can walk out of Costco with an $885 TV and nothing happens to you, then you know something is wrong with society,” Becerra said. “It’s all about being held accountable for your actions.”

Retail theft

Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), who co-authored the bill, explained that since the pandemic, robbery, burglaries, petty and retail theft have become so common in communities.

“In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have increased by 54%, even homes are being targeted as home burglaries are also on the rise,” Valencia said.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, in 2022, California experienced a 28.7% increase in reported commercial shoplifting.

“AB 1772 requires jail time if the perpetrator is convicted of a third offense,” Valencia stated. “This bill aims to hold offenders accountable and will bring justice and a sense of security to our communities.”

Sheriff Dicus

Sheriff Dicus explained that in 2014, Prop. 47 was initially packaged as the Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act.

“This disingenuous title has plagued California businesses by taking the punishment teeth from theft crimes,” Dicus said.

Dicus added that in California, there are virtually no consequences for smash-and-grab robberies.

“AB 1772 would remove the misdemeanor classification and introduce the possibility of three years in jail for suspects with two or more of the specified theft-related convictions,” Discus said. “You can't walk down the street in California without realizing that things are getting worse.”

Discus claims that in San Bernardino County alone, there have been more than 500 reports for retail theft since August 2023. The statistics show an increase in crime in large cities that not only include shoplifting, but also violence and organized retail crime, he added.

“California and law enforcement are tired of the pro-criminal stance from a committee that is impaneled to protect us,” said Discus, who urged the Public Safety Committee and the legislature to pass AB 1772.

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman said the “common sense nonpartisan bill” would implement a measure of consequence for repeat shoplifters.

AB 1772 will be placed on the ballot once it passes through the state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Has Prop. 47 increased crime?

The Public Policy Institute of California stated they found no evidence that violent crime increased as a result of Prop. 47.

While California saw an uptick in the violent crime rate from 2014 to 2016, the trend appears to have preceded the reform and is due in large part to unrelated changes in crime reporting after 2014.

The institute found some evidence that Prop. 47 affected property crime. Statewide, property crime increased after 2014.

While the reform had no apparent impact on burglaries or auto thefts, it may have contributed to a rise in larceny thefts, which increased by roughly 9%. Crime data show that thefts from motor vehicles account for about three-quarters of this increase.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz  

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: San Bernardino County Sheriff supports bill centered on retail crime