Target Store in Land Park, Sacramento, Threatened with Fine for Calling 911 over Thefts

A Target store in Land Park, Sacramento, California has been dealing with a series of theft incidents over the past year, prompting the store to reach out to law enforcement by calling 911 multiple times for assistance. However, the city attorney's office, led by Susana Wood, responded by accusing the store of creating a public nuisance by making these calls to report in-store crimes, which raised concerns about potential administrative fines for Target if the calls to 911 continued.

Despite a letter threat drafted by the city office warning of potential nuisance violation consequences and discouraging store staff from reporting crime, it was never officially sent to Target. The situation sparked criticism from various California officials, with state lawmakers and Police Chief Alexander Gammelgard expressing surprise and disapproval over the attempt to penalize the store for reporting legitimate criminal activities occurring on its premises. Subsequently, Governor Gavin Newsom and other lawmakers took action by amending a retail theft bill to prevent authorities from imposing fines on businesses reporting crime, aiming to address the issue in a more effective manner.

The amendment to the retail theft bill, prompted by the Target store incident and concerns about rising petty theft crimes in California, aims to tighten penalties on retail theft offenses and discourage threats or penalties against businesses reporting criminal activities. This legislative move is part of a broader effort spearheaded by Newsom and California lawmakers to combat retail theft through a package of 14 proposed bills, highlighting the importance of addressing crime in a way that supports businesses and public safety.