Retail theft in California jumped 32% from 2021 to 2023, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office. The rise follows years of policy shifts that made prosecuting theft harder—leading to growing concern among business owners, law enforcement, and voters.
Key Facts:
- California retail theft rose 11% overall between 2014 and 2023, with a 32% surge from 2021 to 2023.
- The LAO attributed the rise to Proposition 47, pandemic-era criminal justice policies, and retail trends.
- Proposition 47 reclassified thefts under $950 as misdemeanors, reducing arrest authority.
- Mask use, self-checkouts, and “no-confrontation” store policies were also cited as contributing factors.
- New laws like AB 2943 and Prop 36 were passed in 2023 to crack down on organized and repeat retail theft.
The Rest of The Story:
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office released a report this week showing a 32% increase in retail theft from 2021 to 2023.
Though overall retail theft rates remain lower than 1980s levels, the recent spike has drawn renewed public and political concern.
The report linked much of the rise to Proposition 47, passed in 2014, which reduced many felonies—including some thefts—to misdemeanors.
“Researchers found that Proposition 47 increased larceny,” the LAO wrote, while noting it couldn’t isolate retail theft specifically.
The pandemic further complicated matters, as jail releases, zero-bail policies, and reduced probation lengths encouraged repeat nonresidential burglary, often tied to retail crime.
The LAO also noted that roughly 10% of California’s population wasn’t counted in 2023 crime data due to a federal reporting change.
This suggests the real rise in theft may be even higher.
Retail theft is completely out of control in San Francisco. With no consequences and no political will to make any changes, the city is trapped in a doom spiral. pic.twitter.com/HzyvWSgRp7
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 22, 2024
Commentary:
California’s leadership has spent the past decade implementing policies that weaken criminal penalties in the name of reform.
But the results speak for themselves: an 11% increase in retail theft over nine years and a troubling 32% spike in just two.
The passage of Proposition 47 turned theft under $950 into a ticket-worthy misdemeanor—essentially greenlighting petty theft across the state.
Combined with soft-on-crime pandemic policies like early prisoner release and zero-bail laws, the system made clear to would-be criminals that consequences were minimal.
Major retailers have responded not with praise for progressive ideals, but with locked doors.
Chains like Walgreens, Whole Foods, and Nordstrom have closed locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, leaving large swaths of downtowns hollowed out.
Empty shelves and shuttered storefronts don’t lie.
The LAO’s report tries to reassure readers that theft levels remain below 1980s highs.
But that comparison ignores the fact that in many cities, California’s retail hubs are now ghost towns.
It also dismisses the lived reality of residents who no longer feel safe shopping in their own neighborhoods.
New laws like AB 2943 are a small step in the right direction, finally giving prosecutors the ability to combine theft charges across counties and reclassify some retail theft as felonies.
But one bill can’t undo a decade of damage.
Enforcement, prosecution, and political will need to match the scale of the problem.
What’s more concerning is the continuing trend of businesses and residents fleeing the state.
California’s high taxes, rising crime, and unfriendly regulatory environment are driving both capital and families elsewhere.
Until Sacramento seriously reconsiders its approach to crime and public safety, the exodus will only grow.
The Bottom Line:
Retail theft in California is rising fast, and the recent 32% jump reflects years of lenient laws and weak enforcement.
While some new policies show promise, they’re late responses to a problem that’s already driven stores and people out of the state.
California’s leaders must act decisively if they want to restore order—and retain what’s left of its business base.
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