CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (August 20, 2024) — On the ballot on November 4, 2014, Californians passed Proposition 47, originally designed to reduce convictions for nonviolent offenders and thereby address prison overcrowding. In Contra Costa County, our voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 47 (66% to 34%) because it was touted as a solution to conserve resources used to arrest and convict nonviolent offenders. What we didn’t know at the time of passage was how negatively this initiative would impact every single community in California, including ours.
This is what Proposition 47 did: Shoplifting, grand theft, forgery, fraud, check fraud, and theft of property from homes, cars, and businesses were classified as felonies if their value was less than $950. Certain drug possession charges were also classified as felonies.
What was the result? A decade of burglaries, serial thefts, car and home break-ins, check forgery, and drug dealing – all without consequence because criminal activity valued under $950 is considered a misdemeanor and not punishable by prison.
And dealers who possess fentanyl or the date rape drug Rohypnol will likely avoid prison time under Proposition 47 because these offenses are misdemeanors, not felonies.
The people I talk to – my neighbors, friends, law enforcement, and victims of these crimes – we are all fed up. So are our local businesses and retailers – some of whom are closing their stores as the losses from these crimes become too great. Fortunately, there is something concrete we can do about it. It is Proposition 36 on the November 5 ballot – the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act.” If passed by California voters, it will reform some of the public safety challenges created by Proposition 47.
This is what Proposition 36 does: It increases penalties for certain property thefts under $950 – punishable as capital crimes for criminals with prior convictions. While thieves currently face a maximum of 6 months in prison, Proposition 36 would increase penalties depending on the amount of property stolen – up to 3 years in prison or jail. If passed, it would also increase penalties for certain drug offenses, mandate rehabilitation, and add fentanyl to the list of drugs that warrant a capital conviction alongside cocaine, heroin, and meth.
Proposition 36 is supported by Californians for Safer Communities, the California District Attorneys Association, the California Sheriff’s Association, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the Republican Party, and our local law enforcement officials. It is sponsored by Walmart, Target, and Home Depot – all retailers that are heavily affected by serial theft. Also participating are 7-Eleven and In-N-Out Burger.
But not everyone thinks Proposition 36 is a good idea. Governor Gavin Newsom, criminal justice reform groups and human rights activists, the ACLU and some Democratic lawmakers are against it. They say Proposition 36 will overcrowd our prisons and cost the state too much money.
Google “Proposition 36 on the November 2024 California ballot” to learn more about the pros and cons of the initiative, and read the information you’ll receive in your voter information booklet next month. I, for one, will be voting YES on Proposition 36—I freak out every time I go to Target or my local drugstore and the deodorant or hair care products I need are under lock and key in acrylic containers.
Contact Mary Jo Rossi via email at [email protected].
Maria Jo Rossi
Mary Jo Rossi is a local political strategist who has managed state/local campaigns for over 40 years and is the owner of Rossi Communications in Concord, California.
