Retailers are fleeing California as a direct result of blue policies that have nearly permitted shoplifting. The iconic Saks Fifth Avenue store in Union Square in San Francisco announced it is shifting to an appointment-only model, which is also in place at its Napa and Palo Alto locations. Others in San Francisco, like Bloomingdale, Michael Kors, and even Walgreens, have announced plans to leave San Francisco entirely due to crime.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger raised the felony threshold from $400 to $950 in 2010 under Assembly Bill 2372. Proposition 47, effective since 2014, classified stolen goods valued under $950 as shoplifting rather than burglary or petty theft. Shoplifting during business hours is prosecuted under Penal Code § 459.5, which is not considered a felony. Law enforcement is encouraged to ignore calls of shoplifting and rarely, if ever, investigates cases of shoplifting. Retailers may hire personal security, but security guards are not permitted to confront thieves due to legal concerns. As a result, criminals routinely walk into stores, take what they’d like valued under $950, and walk out.
In January 2025, California attempted to implement new laws to target shoplifting. Prosecutors under Prop 36, which Gavin Newsom opposed, can combine the value of stolen goods taken in multiple thefts to attempt to dismiss the $950 loophole. Law enforcement officers are now permitted to arrest individuals suspected of shoplifting without needing to witness the theft firsthand. Probation charges for shoplifting have been extended from one to two years, and California has ramped up its rehabilitative programs for offenders under 25.
The National Retail Federation reported an all-time high for retail losses due to crime in 2024, with certain retailers experiencing a 90% uptick in shoplifting. Figures for 2024 have yet to be released, but in 2022, California retailers lost an astounding $8.72 billion due to theft, amounting to $285.70 per capita. California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovered $13.5 million in stolen goods last year, and the state prosecuted over 14,000 theft-related cases between 2023-2024.
It is absurd that the law permits theft. Proposition 47 initially passed with 59.6% approval because people believed it would reduce incarceration rates. The state spends billions on social programs for those in need, and there is no reason that we as a society should accept crime in any manner.
Separately, Donald Trump signed another executive order this week to strengthen local police departments in light of “soft-on-crime policies” that have caused crime to spike throughout the nation. As noted by the White House:
“When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer. My Administration will therefore: establish best practices at the State and local level for cities to unleash high-impact local police forces; protect and defend law enforcement officers wrongly accused and abused by State or local officials; and surge resources to officers in need. My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies.”
AG Pam Bondi will create legal resources for law enforcement officers who “unjustly incur expenses and liabilities” for enforcing the law. This also entails private sector pro bono assistance for those facing legal challenges. This order will refund the police, increasing pay and benefits for officers at a time when many cities are facing shortages. Crimes against police officers will come with enhanced sentences as well. Under Biden, for example, we saw migrants brutalize police officers on camera, only to be released back into the public.
There is one concerning clause in the new EO:
Sec. 4. Using National Security Assets for Law and Order. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.
Now, this is precisely what the Democrats would like to see happen. The left organizes mass protests and displays of civil unrest, which is not a theory but a proven fact. Numerous NGOs fund these “activists,” who in turn incite violence. We saw this happen with the George Floyd “protests,” where cities burned to the ground and small businesses were decimated. This led to the defunding of police agencies across the nation,n and officers have been hesitant to respond to crimes as a result. The Democrats took a knee and turned their backs to the victims, crying racism, while ignoring the basic legal code. They are master manipulators when it comes to spinning the narrative. I feared that an event of this nature could have happened when Trump was sworn into office, an event so chaotic that it would force the president to send in the National Guard.
The civil unrest cycle n the US in projected to intensify between 2025 and 2027, peaking around 2027-2028. We may very well witness an event that requires military intervention.
