California city threatens retailer with fines for reporting theft

The City of Sacramento has threatened a Target location with fines if the store continues to report shoplifters, The Sacramento Bee reported last week.

Threatened with public nuisance charges

Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood has been suffering from a crime rate that is 170% higher than the national average. That includes the Target at 2505 Riverside Blvd, which has reportedly seen an uptick in thefts. Due to the large number of shoplifting incidents, Target employees have made numerous phone calls to Sacramento authorities. However, City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood’s office reportedly threatened Target with an administrative fine for being a public nuisance.

California Police Chiefs Association President Alexander Gammelgard said he was “surprised that anyone would ever attempt to make a nuisance case out of somebody calling to report a legitimate crime. I don’t think there is a place for that.”

Contradicting the report, Woods’ office, along with the Sacramento Police Department, said they were unaware of such threats being made to Target.

According to The Bee’s report, officials in other California cities have taken similar actions in response to repeated complaints about crime, prompting lawmakers to propose legislation outlawing threats like those made to Target.

California crime

Sacramento residents who call 311 to report crimes such as rampant drug use and other crimes associated with the city’s homelessness crisis are either ignored or told to stop calling 311, according to the California Globe.

But crime has become widespread throughout California, not only Sacramento. In nearby Oakland, over 70 people looted a gas station earlier this month. The gas station was situated across the street from where an In-N-Out Burger had operated until March, when it permanently closed due to crime.

In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47 which made all thefts under $950 mere misdemeanors, even for repeat offenders. The measure, which then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris called “The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” also made drug crimes and date rapes misdemeanors. This November, Californians will have a chance to reform Prop. 47 by passing Proposition 36.