Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday blasted California, New York and “many leftist jurisdictions” he says “are enacting policies that ignore retail theft or even encourage it,” while announcing new Florida legislation further cracking down on retail theft and porch piracy in the Sunshine State.
“Those policies are dead on arrival in Florida. We catch criminals and prosecute them,” DeSantis wrote on X, following a news conference he hosted at a Walgreens in Stuart, Florida, where he signed legislation known as HB 549. The new law increases penalties for retail theft, porch piracy and inciting looting via social media.
“You look at a place like California, they passed Proposition 47 that allows people that commit retail theft to be charged with misdemeanor, even if it had traditionally been a felony. That means they get numerous retail theft offenses. Did they get held accountable? No, they get a slap on the wrist,” DeSantis said. “You look at New York, they eliminated cash bail for many offenses, including offenses for retail theft, so that now you can only get a felony theft charge if you steal more than $1,000 worth of merchandise, anything less, you get a desk appearance ticket that has caused people to loot stores and do $999 worth of looting. And then they leave knowing that they’re not going to be held accountable.”
In 2022 alone, the U.S. experienced $112 billion in retail theft, including $4 billion in New York that year, the governor said.
New York City has seen shoplifting increase by 63%, DeSantis said, adding that it is up in Los Angeles by 81% and in San Francisco by 24%.
DESANTIS SIGNS BILLS TO PROTECT OFFICERS FROM FENTANYL EXPOSURE, RAISE AWARENESS FOR OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after signing HB 549, which increases penalties for retail theft, porch piracy and inciting looting via social media. (Florida Governor’s Office)
“Now, that has an impact on you as a consumer because the prices will go up to reflect those stolen…
