Three women were arrested in Seal Beach, California after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Ulta Beauty and Kohl's. The incident highlights the impact of Proposition 36, a new law that increases punishments for certain retail theft offenses.
An alleged shoplifter got quite the surprise when she found out some shoplifting offenses are now considered a felony in California . 'It's a felony?' video shows one of the women saying. 'B*tch new laws!' the suspect next to her replies as they sit handcuffed in the back of a patrol car. 'Stealing is a felony and this Orange County b*tch. They don’t play.
' Surveillance video shared Sunday by the Seal Beach Police Department shows three women walking into an Ulta Beauty store, perusing the shelves, then nonchalantly leaving with around $648 worth of stolen merchandise. Another video allegedly shows the same three women going inside a Kohl's store where they allegedly left with around $1,000 worth of merchandise. Bodycam video shows police officers chasing the women and ultimately arresting them. 'A friendly reminder that Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some retail theft and drug possession offenses, went into effect Wednesday morning in California,' the Seal Beach PD wrote on Instagram. 'Don't steal in Seal!' Prop. 36 was a rightward swing of the California political pendulum – a decade ago, voters eased criminal penalties for certain crimes under 2014’s Proposition 47, which was pitched as both a cost-saving measure and a more effective way to combat crime by focusing dollars on treatment instead of incarceration. Then, during the pandemic, the rate of shoplifting and commercial burglaries skyrocketed, especially in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Mateo and Sacramento counties. Statewide, reported shoplifting of merchandise worth up to $950 soared 28% over the past five years, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s the highest observed level since 2000. Combining shoplifting with commercial burglaries, the institute’s researchers found that total reported thefts were 18% higher than in 2019
Shoplifting Felony Proposition 36 California Crime Surge
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