A bill supported by industry was signed by Governor Brown to create the crime of “Organized Retail Theft.” AB 1065 (Jones-Sawyer; D-Los Angeles) expands jurisdiction to prosecute cases of theft or receipt of stolen merchandise and requires California Highway Patrol (CHP) to convene a regional property task force. The bill also authorizes a grant program to create demonstration projects to reduce recidivism to high-risk misdemeanor probationers. We support this bill and hope it will reduce the huge problem of retail theft in California by redirecting law enforcement resources toward eradicating sophisticated theft rings.
