Shoplifting In San Francisco Has Dropped Since Last Year
The Claim
California decriminalized shoplifting, causing a surge in property theft.
News posted on
Emerging story
After a video went viral last week that showed shoplifters fleeing a San Francisco Neiman Marcus, claims have been circulating that shoplifting is surging in San Francisco and throughout California. Some users believe that this was caused by 2014’s Proposition 47, which they claimed “decriminalized” shoplifting.
Misbar’s Analysis
Shoplifting in San Francisco is not surging and has actually fallen this year. A midyear public safety report showed that overall property thefts have dropped 9%, compared to the same period in 2020. Overall instances of property theft were higher even when the city was under lockdown last year, with the majority of retail shops closed.
In a streaming SFPD crime trends update, Chief William Scott also disputed rumors about the rise in shoplifting. “The statistics are counter to the narrative," he said.
Despite some social media users' claims, California’s Proposition 47 did not decriminalize crime. Also known as The Safe Schools and Neighborhoods Act, Prop. 47 changed certain low-level crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. These crimes include shoplifting, where the value of the property is below $950. This kind of shoplifting is punishable by up to six months in jail.
The proposition’s broader intention is for money saved from reduced incarceration costs to be invested in programs for at-risk K-12 students, mental health treatment, and victims' services. Research shows that investing in these kinds of programs has a strong impact on crime prevention.
To further strengthen state crime prevention, just this week Governor Gavin Newson signed legislation that would extend a Retail Crime Task Force. The program has been effective in reducing property crimes and has recovered over $16.3 million in stolen merchandise.
