Some Malibu establishments are in favor of Proposition 36, a ballot measure meant to increase sentences for theft and drug crimes, believing that it would help dissuade shoplifting in small businesses.
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$950 or less worth of merchandise, the crime would be classified as a misdemeanor. However, Proposition 36 would turn these crimes into a felony if a person has two or more past convictions, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
“Stealing is such an invasion of privacy, an invasion of your space, an invasion of a store, an invasion of whatever it is, that I don’t – I think people need to have a consequence for it,” Crown Boutique Salesperson Sasha Rondell said.
Proposition 36 would overturn some aspects of Proposition 47, the current stance on theft and drug crimes, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
The general consensus from the three Malibu employees interviewed implies they are in favor of how Proposition 36 would affect those involved in theft. However, while this ballot measure has gained popularity, there are those who oppose it.
Malibu Consensus on Proposition 36
Some employees throughout Malibu said they feel that an increase in punishment for shoplifters is necessary.
“There’s not much done about thievery here,” Rondell said.
Rondell said she feels theft has become easier to get away with in the past couple of years and as a result, shoplifting has increased.
“I think there should definitely be a harsher punishment,” Rondell said.
The harsher punishments that Proposition 36 would enforce makes Kai Pono, Aloha retail sales associate, believe businesses in the Malibu community would feel safer, he said.
“It would just, I guess in a sense, make Aloha feel a little more secure,” Pono said.
Encore Sales Associate Bridget Morse, said she believes Proposition 36 would help to re-secure the livelihood of small business owners.
“If we really enforced harsher laws or regulations against that, I think more people would be nervous to shoplift,” Morse said.
This pro-Proposition 36 sentiment, however, is not just located along Malibu storefronts.
60 percent of likely voters said they would vote yes for Proposition 36, according to a poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.
Proposition 36 Background
Not only would Proposition 36 turn certain misdemeanors into felonies, making certain Malibu businesses feel more secure, it would also lengthen some felony sentences by up to three years if three or more people were involved, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
Proposition 36, however, extends beyond the scope of theft.
This ballot measure would require some felonies be served in prison, such as felonies for selling drugs like fentanyl, heroin, cocaine or other drugs, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
If someone were caught illegally possessing drugs, they would receive a “treatment-mandated felony” where they would have to receive mental health or drug treatment to have their charges dismissed or else face three years in state prison, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
Under this proposition, courts would also be required to warn citizens that if a death occurs as a result of selling or providing drugs, they would be charged with murder, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
This proposition would also increase local and state criminal justice costs due to an increase in prison and jail populations and an increase in court workload, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office website.
Opposition to Proposition 36
While some Malibu employees seem to be in favor of this proposition, not everyone feels the same.
Those opposed to Proposition 36 hold the stance that the proposition will spend too much money on the prison system rather than on victims, treatment and crime prevention, according to the California Official Voter Information Guide.
Those opposing the ballot measure also believe that Proposition 36 will take away from needed mental health services, according to the No on 36 website.
However, among those interviewed in Malibu, everyone said they were in favor of the initiative.
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Contact Mackenzie Krause via email: mackenzie.krause@pepperdine.edu
