Governor’s Press Release Comes Amid Huge Increase in Retail Theft
According to a December 17 press release by the Governor’s office, Gavin Newsom unveiled a “multipronged plan to fight and prevent crime in California.” The Real Public Safety Plan is said to focus on supporting local law enforcement, enabling prosecutors to better hold perpetrators accountable, and helping to get guns and drugs off the street.
Additional investments will be made into local law enforcement and funds will be made available to help combat organized retail crime. Grants will reportedly be available to prosecutors and businesses who have fallen victim to the stark increase in retail theft across the state. The plan also includes the “nation’s largest gun buyback program.”
Combatting the Increase in Violent Crime
Throughout the pandemic, there has been a nationwide increase in violent crimes particularly murder. Many of the violent crimes involve the use of a firearm. Newsom’s new Public Safety Plan would implement the “largest gun buyback program in America.”
The governor is also set to propose a new gun law that would help to hold unlawful assault weapon manufacturers, distributors, and sellers accountable. The law would apply to manufacturers and distributors of “ghost guns,” ghost gun kits, or their individual parts as well.
Stopping Retail Theft
The headlines have been plagued by “smash and grab” thefts at retail stores throughout the state. The Real Public Safety Plan would allocate $255 million in grants to local law enforcement for an increased presence at high-risk locations and would establish a permanent “Smash and Grab Enforcement Unit.”
Grants would also be used to help small businesses victimized by retail theft and would establish “dedicated retail theft prosecutors.” A large portion of the funds would be given to help stop organized retail theft from crippling small businesses and other retailers.
