DeMaio Warns of CA Plan to Make it Illegal to Confront Shoplifters

California is experiencing a massive surge in shoplifting crime - so much so that some retailers are putting their goods under lock-and-key or closing their stores entirely. But now if you own or work in a business and are thinking of trying to detain or stop these criminals from stealing, California’s liberal politicians want to charge you with a crime yourself!

Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) by State Senator Dave Cortese (D) aims to prohibit the direct confrontation of shoplifters by store owners and employees. Cortese says he is concerned about recent incidents that have led to shoplifters getting hurt or killed and suggests we rely on law enforcement agencies to handle such incidents instead. 

While the bill is touted as a measure to prevent workplace violence, critics argue that it prioritizes criminals over the safety of law-abiding citizens. 

Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California, strongly opposes the bill, expressing concerns about the potential consequences and accusing California politicians of neglecting the well-being of their constituents.

“SB 553 is the latest in a line of attacks on public safety and is yet another example of California’s liberal politicians enabling and coddling criminals,” said DeMaio.

“And don’t for a second buy the garbage from SB 553 supporters that they want to reduce violence - if they really did want to protect the public, they wouldn’t be letting violent criminals out of prison and would be supporting law enforcement and prosecutors to put criminals behind bars for their crimes,” DeMaio points out.

“What’s worse than the fact that SB 553 will incentivize more shoplifting is the fact that California’s liberal politicians now want to punish the victims of these crimes by making them into criminals — they say you’re the bad guy if you confront a shoplifter,” he continued. 

“I cannot think of a worse law on crime than this one because they’re letting criminals off scott-free and the victims are accused of wrongdoing instead,” continued DeMaio.

According to DeMaio, discouraging individuals from taking immediate action against shoplifters emboldens criminals and fosters an environment of lawlessness.

But DeMaio says there’s a way to fight back and stop policies like SB 553. DeMaio and Reform California are leading a campaign to restore public safety by holding criminals accountable for their actions.

Reform California is leading a campaign to educate swing voters on the rising crime wave and how negligent laws like SB 553 are responsible for the crime. 

“If we can educate voters and open their eyes, we believe it will have a profound impact on their voting and will help us defeat these liberal politicians in the 2024 election cycle,” DeMaio says. 

“To do that we need more support for this campaign to run ads and reach voters, so I’m urging all Californians who are tired of the crime and grime to chip in a contribution today at www.RestorePublicSafety.org,” DeMaio concludes.