Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced legislation that would implement more severe penalties for those who commit retail theft, which has been a serious growing issue in several cities across the country.
Currently in Florida, a person will get a felony if they’ve committed five different retail thefts within 45 days.
“You should not have to get five thefts to make a felony,” DeSantis said in remarks on Thursday.
Now, DeSantis is proposing to create a criminal offense called aggregated retail theft, as well as other measures, to crack down on retail theft (via FLGov.com):
– Third degree felony if you commit retail theft with five or more individuals.
– Second degree felony if criminals use social media to solicit others to participate in retail theft.
– First degree felony if an individual commits retail theft with a firearm or has already had two or more prior convictions of retail theft.
– Reducing the stolen property value necessary to charge criminals with a felony for stealing delivered packages.
“You have illegal aliens that are involved in these theft rings in places like New York City. So you have a massive border invasion, which is a huge problem, and then they get into these places and they commit crimes,” DeSantis explained. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t go down the road of some of these other states.”
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Would-be thieves know that if they commit crimes in Florida, they are going to end up in jail. pic.twitter.com/jqDe7YExmB
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 13, 2024
DeSantis added that hundreds of billions have been lost in recent years from retail theft.
“I would be willing to bet you that the lion’s share of that is because of policies that have facilitated retail theft,” he said, adding that criminals can get away with retail theft in places like San Francisco.
$112 billion was lost in 2022 alone from retail theft, and it’s not just the money – it’s the deterioration of culture and the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/WAUb2ypZyl
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 13, 2024
Criminals are breaking the law in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco because they know they’ll get away with it.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 14, 2024
We hold criminals accountable in Florida. pic.twitter.com/6VaYQsXOnF
Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) revealed that he saw a shoplifter steal from Target without any employees stopping him. When he questioned one of the workers about it, the employee blamed Newsom without realizing who he was, which Townhall covered.
“As we’re checking out, the woman says, ‘Oh he’s just walking out, he didn’t pay for that,’ I said, ‘Why didn’t you stop him?' She goes, ‘Oh, the governor.’ Swear to God, true story, on my mom’s grave. ‘The governor lowered the threshold, there’s no accountability.’ I said, ‘That’s just not true,’” Newsom said in the video, adding that the girl added, “we don’t stop them [shoplifters] because of the governor.”
“I was like, why I am spending $380 and everyone can walk the hell right out?”
In a Zoom call about a mental health proposition, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he was at a Target and saw someone walk out without paying.
— Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler (@ggreschler) January 31, 2024
He asked a worker why the person steals and they blamed the Governor before looking at him twice and recognizing him.
“I was like, why I am… pic.twitter.com/zpLFtNwiSZ
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