Gov. Gavin Newsom Clashes with Target Employee Who Blames Him for California’s Surging Theft Crime — Questions Employee Why He Should Pay in a State of Rampant Shoplifting (VIDEO)

California Governor Gavin Newsom witnessed a theft in progress and found himself at the center of a heated debate over the state’s handling of shoplifting crimes.

The incident, which Newsom detailed in a recent Zoom call with California mayors, highlighted the frustrations surrounding California’s approach to petty theft due to his weak leadership.

According to Newsom, while shopping at Target, he saw a person casually steal an item and leave the store.

Intrigued, the governor approached a store employee to understand why the thief was not apprehended. To his astonishment, the employee directly blamed Newsom’s radical policies for the surge in such crimes.

Newsom, taken aback by the accusation, refuted the employee’s claim, asserting that California’s laws are among the “toughest” in the nation, with Proposition 47 making it a felony for property thefts totaling $950 or higher.

However, his explanation seemed to fall on deaf ears as the employee, not recognizing the governor at first, continued to express frustration over the lack of accountability and enforcement.

Newsom recounted his experience:

“Says, “Sir, you dropped this.” And he comes back, picks it up, and keeps walking out.
As we’re checking out, the woman says, “Oh, he’s just walking out. He didn’t pay for that.”
I said, “Why are you not stopping him?”
She goes, “Oh, the governor.”
I swear to God, true story on my mom’s grave.
“The governor lowered the threshold. There’s no accountability.”
I said, “That’s just not true.”And I said, “We have 10th toughest, $950, the 10th toughest in America.”
She didn’t even know what I was talking about.
“By the way, it’s the 10th toughest in America. Look it up.”
No one gives a damn about that. And I said, “It’s just not true.” They’re still stopped.
They said, “Well, we don’t stop them because of the governor.”
And then she looks at me twice and then she freaks out. She calls everyone over and wants to take photos.
I’m like, “No, I’m not taking a photo. We’re having a conversation. Where’s your manager? How are you blaming the governor?”
And it was $380 later, and I was like, “Why am I spending $380? Everyone can walk the hell right out.”

WATCH:

In a Zoom call about a mental health proposition, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he was at a Target and saw someone walk out without paying.

He asked a worker why the person steals and they blamed the Governor before looking at him twice and recognizing him.

“I was like, why I am… pic.twitter.com/zpLFtNwiSZ

— Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler (@ggreschler) January 31, 2024

Last year, the California Senate passed a bill that makes it illegal for businesses to require their non-security employees to confront shoplifters.

Senate Bill 553, introduced by State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-Cupertino), focuses on strengthening occupational safety by addressing workplace violence and expanding the scope of protection and prevention measures. The bill was approved by the California State Assembly and subsequently signed into law by the Democrat governor Newsom. It will come into effect on July 1, 2024.

“What we’re saying in the bill is, it’s not ok for an employer to take a rank and file worker, somebody whose job is really something else, a reporter for example, and say ‘hey if there’s an intruder, we’re going to deputize you. You’ll be the one to intervene.’ People get hurt and oftentimes killed that way,” Cortese told KTVU.

Below are some headlines of employees fired for trying to stop shoplifters in crime-ridden California: