Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation to further crack down on property and retail crime in California, but Lake County’s district attorney said there may not be much of an impact for rural counties.

Newsom signed 10 new public safety laws to strengthen existing law enforcement tools and better protect Californians.

He said the new laws provide tougher criminal penalties for repeat offenders and additional tools for felony prosecutions.

“Let’s be clear, this is the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history. I thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers, our retail partners, and advocates for putting public safety over politics. While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward — making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable,” Newsom said in a statement on the action.

“A promise made is a promise kept — we’re taking bipartisan action to make our communities safer and stronger,” said Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, whose district includes Lake County. “These 10 critical bills will crack down on retail theft, blunt local crime, and help our downtowns thrive for decades to come. Thanks to the partnership of Gov. Newsom, Speaker Rivas and the tireless work of our Senate and Assembly colleagues, California communities are getting the laws they need and rightfully deserve.”

Newsom’s office said the laws offer new tools to bolster ongoing efforts to hold criminals accountable for smash-and-grab robberies, property crime, retail theft and auto burglaries. They create stricter penalties for individuals involved in retail and property theft, mandate sentencing enhancements for large-scale operations, create new crimes, and impose enhanced felony charges and extended prison sentences.

While officials said California's crime rate remains near historic lows, last year the California Highway Patrol reported an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.

Since January, CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force is on track to surpass the work in 2023, making 884 arrests and recovering more than a quarter of a million stolen goods valued at over $7.2 million, the Governor’s Office reported.

Lake County’s district attorney weighs in

Lake County District Attorney Susan Krones told Lake County News that she’s happy the Legislature is passing laws to crack down on organized retail theft offenses and the governor is signing them into law.

“However, for small rural counties like Lake we do not get very many cases where these new laws will make a difference,” Krones said. “These laws address organized retail theft with additional punishment when the theft is over $50,000 or more. That does nothing to detour the everyday thefts that we usually get in Lake County.”

Krones said none of these new laws make it a felony to steal property or money in the amount of $950 or less.

She said Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act that’s on the November ballot, “will make a huge difference to reduce retail thefts in Lake County.”

Krones explained that, if Prop 36 passes, an offender with two prior convictions for theft can be charged with a felony, regardless of the value of the stolen property.

“It is the same situation for drug possession,” Krones said. “ Currently it is a misdemeanor no matter how many priors a person has. Under Proposition 36 after two drug convictions the DA’s Office could charge a felony possession against the defendant.”

She added, “The goal is not to put people who are addicted to drugs in jail but to give them an incentive to seek help from programs to overcome their drug addiction.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.