Watch: Criminals Learn of New California Theft Law the Hard Way
California has recently enacted new laws concerning theft, a change that was supported by voters through the approval of Proposition 36 in the elections of November. This law introduces harsher penalties for repeat offenders and those who steal multiple items at once. As a result, police departments, notably the Seal Beach police Department, have reported an increase in arrests and have utilized social media to highlight these captures.
In a recent Instagram video, the police showcased three alleged thieves who were apprehended while stealing. The individuals displayed shock upon realizing the severity of the new laws, with one questioning why they wouldn’t simply receive a citation. Officers explained that in orange County, the approach to theft is more stringent compared to Los Angeles county, leading to a direct consequence of incarceration rather than immediate release.
The montage shared by the police underscores the importance of enforcing laws to deter criminal behavior. The thieves, previously emboldened by lenient laws, were caught off guard by the new legal standards, illustrating that stricter enforcement can influence people’s actions and perceptions of risk in committing theft. The hope is that these changes will lead to a reconsideration of their choices and a reduction in petty crime.
California recently had a change in law related to theft, allowing one police department in the Golden State to take a victory lap after years of enduring relentless petty crimes under the old statutes.
In the elections this past November, California voters approved Proposition 36 in a landslide, creating harsher penalties for repeat thieves, as well as more severe consequences for thieves who steal several smaller items at a time.
That has allowed police in California to make more arrests — and for the Seal Beach Police Department to turn those arrests into some snazzy social media content.
At the end of last year, a video posted on Instagram by the agency showed three apparent thieves allegedly snatching items from multiple stores before they encountered the cops.
Two of those suspects only realized when they were handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser that the law had changed significantly.
But a fan account for the Seal Beach Police Department made an entire montage of such criminals apparently getting mugged by reality.
“It’s just a petty theft!” the first alleged thief protested. “Orange County prosecutes for theft,” the officer informed him.
“So why wouldn’t it just be a cite and release?” the next alleged thief in the montage asked. “Because this is Orange County. This is not L.A. County. We don’t cite and release,” an officer told her.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that may offend some readers.
Montage of criminals begging for “cite and release” but they’re told: “This is Orange County, not LA.” pic.twitter.com/OKEL32N9lx
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) January 6, 2025
“We going to County, or am I getting a ticket?” the third asked. “You go to County. They’ll release you from there,” an officer replied.
There were several other similar interactions in that very brief montage.
The video, which is less than a minute long, teaches a valuable lesson about law enforcement: The law defines good and bad conduct, and the incentives created by laws and enforced by law enforcement matter for the peace and tranquility of society.
The thieves in the montage were encouraged to steal because the consequences were minimal. They sincerely thought that they could take items, get caught, and then walk away immediately with nothing more than a citation.
But when the laws became more stringent, they realized that their behavior was incongruous with the new standard, and they felt the increased risk of dealing in evil.
That is why the impulse some in our nation have to dismiss nonviolent smaller crimes as not a big deal is deeply destructive. As Ecclesiastes 8:11 said,” Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.”
Now that the sentences are being carried out, hopefully, the thieves will have a change of heart.
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