San Jose and San Francisco Mayors Support Prop 47 Reform

Sacramento, Calif., —  Today, the San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced their endorsement of the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act that will increase community safety by holding those who repeatedly steal or traffic hard drugs accountable. The measure has collected over 360,000 signatures from California voters to place it on the November ballot.

“We cannot be afraid to challenge the status quo when it is clearly not working for our residents,” said Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan. “Prop 47 was well-intended but what really matters is its impact — and unfortunately, it’s hurting far too many families and small businesses across the state. We need reform that doesn’t take us back to the era of mass incarceration but allows judges to mandate treatment for those struggling with severe addiction, hold repeat offenders accountable, and treat fentanyl like the killer it is.”

“In San Francisco, we are making progress on property crimes, but the challenges we are facing related to fentanyl and organized retail theft require real change to our state laws. Fentanyl is deadlier and more addictive than any drug we’ve ever seen, and it is tearing communities and families apart. We need greater interventions to get people into treatment and to hold those selling this drug in our community accountable,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act will make targeted but impactful changes to our laws around fentanyl and help us tackle the chronic retail theft that hurts our retailers, our workers, and our cities. I fully support this measure and know it will make a meaningful difference for cities across California.”

“Mayor Mahan and Mayor Breed continue to demonstrate leadership and commitment to improving community safety by supporting this commonsense ballot measure to address the theft, fentanyl trafficking, and drug addiction challenges that are facing every community in California.  We are most grateful for their support,” said Campaign Chair Greg Totten who is also chief executive officer for the California District Attorneys Association.

“We have received overwhelming response from California voters who live in every region of the state who want safer communities and laws that will hold repeat thieves accountable and mandate treatment for drug offenders,” said Anne Marie Schubert, co-chair of the campaign committee. “This is not a partisan issue which is why we continue to see momentum with more than 360,000 voters signing the petition to put this measure on the ballot.”

A survey of likely California voters found that 70% of voters support the title and summary of the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act. The overwhelming support was consistent across every demographic and geography including the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Furthermore, 89% of likely voters support amending Proposition 47 for stronger penalties for those engaged in repeated retail theft and trafficking hard drugs like fentanyl. The measure also includes incentives to complete drug and mental health treatment for people who are addicted to hard drugs.

To qualify the measure for the November 2024 ballot, the law requires 546,651 valid signatures.

For more information, go to www.CASafeCommunities.com. 

Related to Prop 47 Reform

• Feb 6 – Governor Newsom Deploys CHP to Oakland and East Bay
• Jan 30 – Assemblywoman Soria Announces Retail Theft Legislation
• Jan 29 – Homeless, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act collects 25% of the required signatures to qualify for November ballot
• Jan 24 – Bill Seeks Stronger Penalties for Retail Theft Crimes (Prop 47 Reform)
• Jan 3 – Bill Would Count Prior Convictions When Determining Penalties for Retail Theft Crimes
• Oct 26, 2023 – Select Committee on Retail Theft Created