“I think the most likely outcome is you’re going to see these (laws) applied differently depending on which county you’re in,” one expert said.
A new batch of laws targeting crimes that have increased a “sense of social anxiety” among Californians reflect support for stronger penalties following a decade of easing punishments, but experts say they don’t signal a return to the “tough-on-crime” policies of decades past.The laws taking effect on New Year’s Day will tackle property crimes, retail theft rings and other offenses.
In August, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 10 of these bills — many written in collaboration with big retailers — into law, saying that Californians’ concerns about organized retail theft were“Public opinion has shifted,” said Garrick Percival, professor of political science at San Jose State.
The consequences of the new laws will depend on whether law enforcement officers make more arrests based on the laws and how frequently prosecutors charge crimes, Percival said. Another law, AB 1972, allows for the expansion of the CHP property crimes task force to also analyze railroad and cargo theft.
Percival explained that the length of the penalty is not the largest factor in deterrence, but rather the “odds of getting caught in the act,” meaning that laws expanding police enforcement could potentially help decrease the number of people who attempt retail theft.
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