HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB 1772 (Ramos) DoJ Theft Study - Letter of SUPPORTCity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114,
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May 14, 2024
The Honorable James Ramos
Member, California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 8310
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1772 (Ramos) Theft.
Notice of SUPPORT (As Amended on April 3, 2024)
Dear Assembly Member Ramos:
The City of San Luis Obispo supports AB 1772 (Ramos), which would require the Department of
Justice to conduct a study to determine the number of misdemeanor convictions for a theft offense
when property was taken from a retail business during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
As you may know, retail theft continues to be a problem in nearly all California communities. For
example, commercial burglary is at the highest rate since 2008. In fact, according to the PPIC,
commercial burglary increased statewide since 2020, especially in larger counties with an increase of
13% among 14 of the 15 largest counties. Rising theft is impacting every corner of California, and city
officials need additional tools to reduce crime and improve the safety of their neighborhoods.
This bill would require the Department of Justice on January 1, 2026 to report to the Legislature the
number of misdemeanor convictions for retail theft during the Governor’s declared state of
emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic. This would allow the Legislature to identify the rate of
convictions misdemeanor retail theft offenses during a time related to a surge of theft rates.
While AB 1772 (Ramos) is important to continuing to make progress on retail theft, this bill is only
one part of a comprehensive solution that needs to include prevention, enforcement, and
supervision. Identifying the rate of theft in comparison to the rate of conviction is just one of the
methods that can help solve this growing problem and make our communities safer.
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo supports AB 1772 (Ramos).
Sincerely,
Erica. A Stewart
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
cc. Senator John Laird
Assembly Member Dawn Addis
Dave Mullinax, League of California Cities, dmullinax@cacities.org
Meg Desmond, League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org