California Democratic lawmakers look to remove penalty for possessing firearm during crime
(Worthy News) – Reform-minded activists in California vow to move forward after a bill that would have dramatically reduced, and in some cases eliminated, enhanced sentences for crimes committed while using a gun failed to advance through the legislature Thursday.
“AB 1509 was held in the Appropriations committee and will not move forward this year,” Greg Fidell, policy manager of Initiate Justice, wrote on Twitter. “This is very painful – but we will be back stronger next year.” [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]
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‘Out of control’: Organized crime drives S.F. shoplifting, closing 17 Walgreens in five years – S.F. Chronicle
Retailers attributed a majority of losses to professional thieves instead of opportunistic shoplifters who may be driven by poverty, with one CVS leader calling San Francisco a hub of organized retail crime. Losses have shuttered drugstores providing vital services, even more critical during the pandemic as some stores give out vaccines.
The cost of business and shoplifting led Walgreens to shut 17 locations in San Francisco in the past five years — an “unpopular and difficult decision,” Jason Cunningham, regional vice president for pharmacy and retail operations in California and Hawaii, said at the hearing. The company still has 53 stores in the city.
Like many other retailers, Walgreens is blaming Proposition 47, which lowered penalties for thefts under $950 and sparked dramatic increases in shoplifting across the metro area over the last several years. Prop. 47 is supported by criminal justice reformers and the liberal establishment, who have also managed to defund the local police.