Newsom signs bill bolstering ‘smash and grab’ sentencing

In finalizing the complete package of historic bills to crack down on retail and property crime, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1960 by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas to create steeper felony penalties for large-scale felony theft offenses. The bill would mandate that courts impose an enhanced sentence when suspects take, damage, or destroy property valued at over $50,000 during the commission of any felony, including retail theft. Targeting large-scale fencing operations, the same enhanced sentences will also be applicable to those who knowingly receive stolen property or resell such property.
“California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation — and we have made them even stronger with our recent legislation,” Newsom said. “ We can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime — we don’t need to go back to broken policies of the last century. Mass incarceration has been proven ineffective and is not the answer – we need true accountability and strategies that enhance our nation-leading efforts to address crime. I thank Speaker Rivas for his leadership in strengthening law enforcement tools in California.”