California's top two Democrats on Thursday unveiled a multifaceted plan to address the recent spate of organized thefts that have tarnished the state's national reputation and plagued retailers.

The bill, authored by House Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and Rep. Rick Chavez Zubru (D-Los Angeles), targets so-called organized retail theft gangs, which have been blamed for an increase in high-profile crimes. will focus on. , the purse snatching incident plaguing California.

Rivas and Zubru, who chair the Retail Theft Task Force, said details of the bill will be announced on Friday and will be added to an expected list of 15 to 20 additional bills that also address retail crime.

Lawmakers said the bill was inspired in part by Gov. Gavin Newsom's crime-fighting bill proposals. Newsom sent 120 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland this month under a new state law enforcement campaign targeting a rise in violent crimes and thefts that have led to growing criticism of California's criminal justice policies.

If passed, the bill would punish what lawmakers call “professional retail thieves” and could increase prison sentences to up to three years. Under this law, thieves can be prosecuted for the total amount of goods stolen in a series of crimes, even if there is another victim. The resale of stolen goods, including items sold online, will also be targeted.

Big retailers would be required to provide stolen data to unspecified, possibly state agencies, while protecting consumer information. One of the major obstacles to solving retail crime is a lack of data, largely due to under-reporting from retailers who take too long to call the police.

The bill would also expand diversion programs and tools for police to make arrests based on witness statements and surveillance video.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan recently endorsed the following ballot measures: reform Proposition 47 is an initiative voters passed a decade ago to reduce mass incarceration by reclassifying some felonies, including retail theft, to misdemeanors. The proposal would increase the amount for which theft can be prosecuted as a felony from $400 to $950.

The San Francisco Bay Area was hit hard by retail crime from 2020 to 2022, but the city saw a decline in such crimes last year. In his first three weeks of the year, property crime fell by 41%.

Newsom supported Prop. 47 when he was lieutenant governor and recently said he opposes asking voters to reform the bill. The governor believes theft can be dealt with by law.

And Mr. Rivas and Mr. Zubru convey the same message.

“I'm most interested in getting it right,” Rivas said. “We know this is a problem. We don't want to be complacent and blame Proposition 47.”