Local leaders are firing back at Governor Newsom over the rash of smash and grab robberies.
The governor recently called on local mayors to "Step up," and to put an end to the organized crime. However, Some County Sheriffs and District Attorneys say Newsom is just playing politics and not helping solve the problem. “It’s not deterring it, it’s not preventing it. It’s not doing anything to stop this, which is why it just keeps getting worse and we keep seeing more bold behaviors, we keep seeing more criminals who are empowered,” said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. “He should be ashamed of himself,” said Smittcamp. “This is the environment that he created. And he’s either ignorant of the statistics, or he’s a liar.”
Newsom was responding Wednesday to a recent run of large-scale thefts in California and across the nation in which groups of individuals shoplift en masse from stores or smash and grab from display cases. Single operators have also been a growing problems for retailers who say the thieves face little consequence. Property crime dropped significantly since then despite the recent high-profile cases, Newsom said. State crime statistics show property crimes dipped 7.7% last year, led by a nearly 15% drop in larceny thefts and 4% drop in burglaries.