Tag: California

An AP professional for Target and an armed security officer at a downtown LA shopping plaza were shot by an alleged shoplifter this week after the suspect attempted to make off with stolen merchandise from the store.

Effective December 18, Proposition 36 introduces a nuanced approach to handling offenses, balancing stricter accountability with opportunities for rehabilitation.

The laws will take effect on January 1, 2025, except for AB 1972, which took effect immediately on August 16, 2024. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside partner law enforcement agencies, has announced arrests and charges against 22 individuals as part of Operation Sticky Fingers, which involved a statewide organized retail crime operation targeting cannabis retail stores.

Investigators assigned to the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCTF) recovered over $450,000 in stolen merchandise from an Oakland residence following a month-long investigation.

The new laws provide tougher criminal penalties for repeat offenders and additional tools for felony prosecutions.

The package is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, and while he said he plans on signing them quickly, his office has not indicated when exactly he will sign them.

Michelle Mack, ringleader of a nationwide organized retail crime ring that targeted ULTA Beauty, Sephora, and other retailers, has received a sentence of five years and five months in a California state prison.

Since January, the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has conducted 320 investigations, made 717 arrests, and recovered nearly 230,000 stolen goods valued at more than $6.8 million.

California Senate Bill 553, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last September, is the first legislation of its kind to address workplace violence and mandate that affected employers adopt a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan.