Believe it or not, even many Californians don’t like crime. In fact, the momentum for tough-on-crime policies has built to the point that voters may get the chance to reverse course with statewide propositions.
In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 47, which infamously reduced strictures against thefts and shoplifting of items worth less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. It did the same for possession of most drugs, removing the ability of prosecutors to push drug addicts into court-ordered rehab by giving them the choice of that or felony jail time.
The consequences have been plain to see. Property crimes rose in 2022 in California. Shoplifting has surged in Los Angeles, and widespread drug use has contributed to California’s still-growing homeless population and the decline of public safety in many neighborhoods while increasing the amount of sidewalks covered in drug paraphernalia, urine, and feces.
As a result, 75% of Californians in February described crime and violence as a problem in their neighborhoods, a number that has been rising since February 2020. The share of Californians who rate their community’s handling of crime as “excellent” or “good” has dropped from 67% in February 2020 to 61% in February 2022 to 50% in February 2023.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The California legislature is trying to quell anxiety about crime with half measures designed to avoid touching Proposition 47, but momentum is building for a statewide referendum on crime. The California District Attorneys Association is pushing for a referendum that would strengthen penalties for career criminals engaging in retail theft and would make it easier to charge fentanyl dealers with homicide. Walmart is contributing to a ballot initiative push, and the grocers association that represents Costco and Safeway is also offering some tepid support.
The problem has become large enough that state Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), have taken notice. If that momentum continues to build into 2024, Californians may have the opportunity at the ballot box to overrule Newsom and his soft-on-crime allies in the legislature. There is no doubt that they should run with that opportunity.