California continues to be a haven for criminals.
This week, the Sacramento Bee reported that a Sacramento city attorney threatened to fine a Target store for calling 911 multiple times after it was hit by a spate of thefts.
Over the last year, the retail store in Land Park, Sacramento, has been targeted by thieves on several occasions.Sacramento city attorney Susana Wood’s office responded by accusing the store of causing a public nuisance by calling the police.If Target didn’t stop calling 911, the city office warned it would hit the retailer with an administrative fine, a source told the Sacramento Bee.The letter threatening a nuisance violation, which would essentially dissuade staff from reporting in-store crime, was drafted but never sent, the source added.A police spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that the warning concerned Target’s Land Park store.
This is a black mark for both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic leadership that dominates Sacramento, especially in light of their efforts against the restoration of more robust penalties for crime.
“Newsom keeps insisting that reports of theft are dropping — well, now we know why. Not only are thieves let off without even a slap on the wrist, but now the victims are being threatened for even reporting crimes,” California Assembly GOP Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital.”Everyone can see that Newsom’s pro-criminal policies are a failure — no matter how much his allies try to cover it up.”Criminal defense attorney Nicole Castronovo also weighed in on the matter, telling Fox News Digital politicians in California are leaving citizens out to dry, as “crime begets crime.””Lawmakers have allowed smash and grab robberies to terrorize our cities. As a consequence, retailers are leaving major cities in droves — taking jobs with them,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, smash-and-grab robberies have evolved into crash-and-grab.
Thieves took thousands of dollars worth of high-end sneakers and shirts from a store in South Los Angeles in a smash-and-grab early Thursday morning, the shops owners say.The store, Rich Kids L.A. off the intersection of Century Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, was burglarized at about 3:15 a.m. Surveillance video obtained by OnScene TV showed as many as 10 people running into the store after a white Kia sedan crashed into the front window, allowing them to enter.Inside, a video showed a mad scramble to grab expensive shoes and clothes off shelves and racks. The suspects escaped the scene, leaving the white Kia behind.Store owners say it took officers with the L.A. Police Department up to two hours to respond to the alarm. The white Kia was left running for the entire time.
To round out this report, a sign mocking California’s approach toward crime is making the rounds on social media.
A sign posted this week outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco has caught the internet’s attention. Photos of the sign began to circulate on social media and have since gone viral — one X post has more than 7.7 million views.The sign, which reads “STOLEN GOODS MUST REMAIN UNDER $950,” appears to mock retail theft law in California.In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor. That has been the case since voters passed Proposition 47 in 2014.A San Francisco Department of Public Works spokesperson told Nexstar’s KRON that the sign was not put up by the city. The spokesperson added that a city worker was sent on Sunday to check it out.However, by the time the worker was there, there was no sign located.A San Francisco Police Department spokesperson confirmed to Snopes the sign did exist, but had been taken down.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY