All parents ask their children what they want to be when they grow up. Astronaut, firefighter and doctor have long been favorites. But California has now added a dubious new profession to the list: shoplifting entrepreneur.

Shoplifting in California has become so rampant that it’s no longer just a petty crime. It’s an $8 billion per year industry where organized "rip crews" strip an entire store, resell the goods, and return to steal again. Even while rates of other crimes have declined, reports of shoplifting have increased through the first half of 2024.

Why has California occupied the top position for retail theft nationwide? This decline of law and order in the state happened on the watch of its former attorney general and our current vice president, Kamala Harris.

Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks during the annual convention of the California Teachers Association at Manhattan Beach, California, March 22, 2014. (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

Harris’ tenure as attorney general from 2011-2017 produced a poisonous cocktail of activist prosecutors, pro-crime initiatives and efforts to undermine police – all of which emboldened a culture of theft.

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Four years ago, Harris called for defunding the LAPD and encouraged protesters who were physically assaulting police officers. Her political legacy is a deep wound in the public safety of California’s cities – and as vice president, she’s taken these policies national.

In 2023, the Golden State experienced what The New Yorker called "Flash Rob Summer" – a free-for-all crime spree that saw mobs pillaging stores like Yves Saint Laurent, Sunglass Hut, Gucci and Nike. Major cities across the country are at the forefront of this crisis, with Los Angeles and San Francisco scoring as the top two shoplifting cities in the country.

But for California, this November offers a chance to turn the tide. Though California’s electoral votes will all go to the Democratic candidate, a statewide ballot measure called Proposition 36 offers relief for the crime wave of the last several years.

Prop 36 is a strong law-and-order initiative aimed at rolling back Proposition 47, a policy passed in 2014 and overseen by Attorney General Harris that shortsightedly reduced penalties for theft and released thousands of criminals onto the streets.

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After the passage of Prop 47, California descended into unprecedented chaos, not least of which in the retail sector. Prop 36 aims to reverse Harris’ soft-on-crime policy, and thanks to its strengthened penalties for theft, it is endorsed by a broad spectrum of public safety interests. The California District Attorneys Association, the California State Sheriffs' Association, and even San Francisco Mayor London Breed have all announced their support for the reform.

This ballot measure will enhance public safety by increasing sentences for theft, particularly targeting repeat offenders. It ensures that significant property damage and planned, collaborative thefts carry mandatory enhancements of up to three years. By rolling back Prop 47's leniencies, Prop 36 will help restore order and public safety in community spaces.

Mandating serious sentences for shoplifting limits the ability of activist judges and weak prosecutors to promote lawlessness through under-prosecution, but it does not solve the problem in its entirety.

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Prosecutors who hate law and order should be removed from office, police should be empowered to enforce public safety through more reasonable laws, and agencies should have the resources to hire more law enforcement personnel. Once Californians have a chance to see the positive impacts of Prop 36, these reforms should be next on the agenda.

Retail workers are fed up, and all Californians are desperate for a return of basic public safety – because retail theft affects everyone. It drives up prices as retailers try to offset their losses. It puts jobs at risk and threatens the viability of local businesses. Neighborhoods become dangerous places to even run errands.

By supporting tougher penalties and better support for law enforcement, we can reclaim our streets and restore safety and prosperity to these communities.

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Prop 36 is an opportunity to send a clear message to those who exploit California’s present lawlessness: the Golden State will no longer be a safe haven for retail crime.

During her political career, Kamala Harris inaugurated a heyday for shoplifters and created a new industry for stolen goods; 2024 is a good year to shut down her legacy of crime, permanently.

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