Gov. Newsom signs bill to help fight retail theft during Long Beach visit
By Orange County on July 21, 2021
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that aims to curb organized retail theft across the state on Wednesday, July 21, during a visit to Long Beach where he also met with local mayors and police chiefs.
The signing of Assembly Bill 331, which bolsters the California Highway Patrol’s property-crimes task force, is among several recent efforts to address an uptick in crime across California, Newsom said during a press conference on Long Beach’s Retro Row, a small business district on Fourth Street.
The bill, which passed 68-0 in the state’s Assembly and 39-0 in the Senate, gives the CHP more leeway in forming such task forces.
“(There) are organized (criminal) efforts, and we want to go after those rings, ” Newsom said of retail theft. “We want to go after those organized teams of folks that are connected not just within communities, but across the state.”
The CHP’s top cop agreed.
L-R Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Hangout shop owner Melissa Carpenter chat in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Assemblyman Reggie Jones Sawyer, and California Governor Gavin Newsom with the signed bill at a press conference addressing organized theft across the state in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R California Governor Gavin Newsom, Assemblyman Reggie Jones Sawyer, Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock-Dawson, and CHP commissioner Amanda Ray inside the Hangout before their press conference in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti, speaks at a press conference addressing organized theft across the state in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Gavin Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
CHP commissioner Amanda Ray, speaks at a press conference addressing organized theft across the state in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Gavin Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia, speaks at a press conference addressing organized theft across the state in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Gavin Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he and Garcia met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia and California Governor Gavin Newsom, walk along 4th Street in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
California Governor Gavin Newsom addressing mayors and police chiefs in the Port of Long Beach administration building where a conference was held in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The event brought together mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento, chat in the Port of Long Beach administration building where a conference was held in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The event with Governor Gavin Newsom and mayors across the state live and virtual was held to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference addressing organized theft across the state in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R California Governor Gavin Newsom, talks with Kerstin Kansteiner, owner of Portfolio Coffeehouse and Mayor Robert Garcia in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom held a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R California Governor Gavin Newsom, talks with Jennifer Hill, owner of Songbird and Mayor Robert Garcia in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom held a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin, Mayor of Santa Ana Vicente Sarmiento, Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock-Dawson, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, California Governor Gavin Newsom, CHP commissioner Amanda Ray, Los Angles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA Police Chief Michel Moore and San Francisco Police Chief William Scott chat in the Port of Long Beach administration building where a conference was held in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The event brought together mayors across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Los Angles Mayor Eric Garcetti chat in the Port of Long Beach administration building where a conference was held in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The event with Governor Gavin Newsom and mayors across the state live and virtual was held to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Hangout shop owner Melissa Carpenter chat in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
L-R California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Mayor Robert Garcia walk along 4th Street in Long Beach on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Governor Newsom was in Long Beach for a meeting with mayors and police chiefs from across the state live and virtually to discuss rising crime and public safety issues. After the meeting he met with three business owners along 4th Street in Long Beach and then held a press conference and signed AB-331 to fight organized theft. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
“Organized crime retail theft has become a $30 billion criminal industry that often uses the illicit proceeds that they get from that to fund other crimes,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Some of the other crimes that those monies are used for are vehicle theft, identity theft, human trafficking and narcotics trafficking.”
Since the task force began in 2019, there have been 668 investigations, with 252 arrests and more than $16.3 million in of stolen merchandise recovered, she said.
In one instance, a couple of months ago, the CHP task force busted a suspected grocery-store theft ring that had roughly $1 million in stolen goods stashed at a home in Garden Grove, authorities said.
Newsom said there have been other investments in preventing violent crime and in solving other problems, including $10.4 million into a Gun Violence Reduction Program, $12 billion into homeless housing and services, and $4 billion into behavioral-health services for young people.
Newsom said he came to Long Beach for the bill signing because Mayor Robert Garcia was very supportive of the CHP task force’s efforts and other public-safety investments. The mayors of Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Riverside also attended the press conference, including the cities’ police chiefs.
Before the press conference, Newsom had a roundtable discussion with the police chiefs and several others, virtually, to discuss crime statistics and to share best practices to address the spike in crime.
Newsom also toured several businesses on Long Beach’s Retro Row, including the Portfolio Coffeehouse, whose owner Kerstin Kansteiner said she was honored to have the governor tour the city and her business.
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