NUMBER, CARLEY.
CARLEY: UNBELIEVABLE.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
KNOWS THERE’S A CRIME CRISIS IN
A WAVE SMASH AND GRAB ROBBERIES.
HE’S FINALLY PUTTING FORTH A
PLAN THE TO TRY TO STOP IT.
>> WE’RE PUTTING OFF OVER A
QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS IN
ENFORCEMENT GRANTS, COMPETITIVE
ENFORCEMENT GRANTS TO HELP LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ADVANCE THE
PROSECUTION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
INVOLVED IN ORGANIZED RETAIL
THEFT.
CARLEY: THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS
WILL IT WORK?
JOINING ME NOW, TRACEE
HERNANDEZ, FOUNDING CEO OF BIS
FED AND TUCKY BLUNT JUNIOR,
OWNER AND OPERATOR OF BLUNTS AND
MORE, A RETAIL CANNABIS
BUSINESS.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH.
THE GOVERNOR IS TAKING ACTIONS
-- LET’S GET TO THE DETAILS OF
THIS, $300 MILLION, ALMOST ALL
OF IT TO INCREASED POLICE
PRESENCE.
HE WANTS TO CREATE AN ORGANIZED
THEFT UNIT AND $20 MILLION TO
HELP SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE
BEEN VICTIMS OF THESE SMASH AND
GRAB ROBBERIES.
SO SARAH -- OR TRACEE, RATHER,
WILL THIS WORK?
DO YOU SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR’S
PLAN?
>> WE AT THE BUSINESS
FEDERATION, WE’VE GOT 400,000
BUSINESSES LARGE AND SMALL,
ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR
LEANING IN TO HELP WITH
ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION AND
FUNDING OF POLICE SO THAT WE CAN
GET AFTER THESE CRIMINALS THAT
HAVE TAKEN TO RETAIL THEFT AS
THE NEW WAY TO MAKE MONEY FROM
WHERE THEY USED TO GET IT FROM
DRUGS, NOW THEY GET IT FROM
CRASHING INTO OUR STORES AND
STEALING OUR PROPERTY AND
SELLING IT ONLINE.
SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO
SOMETHING AND WE APPRECIATE THE
GOVERNOR STEPPING UP.
CARLEY: TUCKY, WE WANTED TO
HAVE YOU ON BECAUSE YOU OWN A
CANNABIS BUSINESS AND LEGAL
CANNABIS BUSINESSES ARE TARGETED
BY SMASH AND GRAB ROBBERIES.
WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN
AND WHY IS IT HAPPENING?
>> MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN A LOT
WITH LACK OF POLICE PRESENCE BUT
IT’S NOT FROM LACK OF FUNDING.
WE PAID ALMOST 6.5% TO THE CITY
OF OAKLAND FOR TAXES.
SO TO SAY THAT THEY’RE NOT BEING
PAID OR ACT LIKE THEY NEED MORE
MONEY, THE STREET SIDE OF ME
FEELS ONE WAY BUT THE BUSINESS
SIDE OF ME FEELS ANOTHER WAY SO
I HAVE TO APPROACH IT THAT WAY.
WE ARE TARGETED BECAUSE WE’RE A
CASH BUSINESS, WE CAN’T BANK AND
PEOPLE THINK WE’RE SITTING ON A
BUNCH OF CASH.
I AGREE WITH WHAT HE’S TRYING TO
DO I THINK THE LAWS NEED TO BE
CHANGED, THEY NEED TO BE
CLASSIFIED AS ARMED ROBBERIES
AND NOT JUST PROPERTY CRIMES.
CARLEY: THAT WOULD MEAN IT
WOULD BE A BIGGER SENTENCE AND
THEY WOULD STAY IN JAIL AS
OPPOSED TO BEING LET OUT, IS
THAT WHAT YOU’RE SAYING?
>> CORRECT.
CARLEY: TRACEE, ON THAT NOTE,
THE GOVERNOR SUPPORTED PROP 47
WHICH MAKES ANYTHING -- STEALING
ANYTHING UNDER $950 A
MISDEMEANOR.
SO OFTENTIMES YOU SEE PEOPLE WHO
DO THESE SMASH AND GRAB
ROBBERIES GET OUT THE NEXT DAY.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT’S PART OF
THE PROBLEM HERE?
>> OH, IT’S A HUGE PART OF THE
PROBLEM.
THAT LAW WENT INTO EFFECT IN
2014 AND SO IT USED TO BE $400
WAS A FELONY, YOU NOW IT’S 950
AND WHAT MAKES IT WORSE IS YOU
CAN STEAL $949.49 AT ONE STORE,
GO THE AFTERNOON, DO IT AT
ANOTHER STORE, LATER THAT
EVENING DO IT AT ANOTHER STORE
AND NONE OF IT ARE FELONIES.
IN FACT, CARL HEY, -- CARLEY, WE
HAVE BIGGER RETAILERS, EVEN
THOSE WITH THEFTS OVER 950 WE
HAVE A PROBLEM HERE IN LA COUNTY
WITH OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND
HE’S NOT PROSECUTING.
I HAVE ONE MEMBER WHO HAD 100
THEFTS IN THE LAST MONTH.
THE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED AND
CAUGHT THE CRIMINALS BUT OUR
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS NOT
PROSECUTED ANY OF THOSE HUNDRED
THEFTS.
IT’S ALSO OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
PROSECUTING THESE PEOPLE.
CARLEY: THERE COULD BE ALL THE
POLICE PRESENCE IN THE WORLD AND
ALL THE MONEY GOING INTO
POLICING, BUT IF THESE PEOPLE
WHO ARE COMMITTING THESE CRIMES
ARE JUST GOING TO BE LET OUT,
THE PROBLEM WILL NEVER BE
SOLVED.
TRACEE HERNANDEZ, TUCKY BLUNT