Florida Governor Signs Harsher Retail Crime Laws Into Action
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Ron DeSantis claims Florida won’t go down without a fight when it comes to retail crime.
The Florida governor signed new laws around retail crime on Tuesday at a press conference. The newly passed legislation makes good on promises DeSantis made around retail crime in February.
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Bob Rommel, a member of Florida’s House of Representatives, proposed HB 549, the bill DeSantis signed into law, in November. It passed the Florida House in February, just days after DeSantis and Rommel touted its importance at a press conference, then subsequently passed in the state Senate in March.
The bill takes aim at both retail crimesters and porch pirates.
It stipulates that anyone who participates in a retail crime operation with five or more individuals can be charged with a third-degree felony, with a maximum punishment of five years in prison. If individuals involved in a five-or-more-person crime ring use social media to solicit others’ participation, that punishment amps up to a second-degree felony with a potential punishment of 15 years in prison. And for those who commit retail crimes with a firearm—or having had at least two prior convictions for retail theft—can be charged with a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
According to the governor’s office, the bill also allows officials to charge a person who has committed multiple instances of retail theft in 120 days with a felony, though it does not stipulate the degree of that felony. Florida’s previous laws had allowed a felony charge for repeat offenders within 30 days.
DeSantis said the new law stands to differentiate Florida from other states like New York and California, which the governor has repeatedly slammed for leniency around retail crime.
“Florida is taking another step to distinguish ourselves from lawless jurisdictions and keep our residents and businesses safe,” DeSantis said in a statement. “If you steal in Florida, we will catch you and we will prosecute you.”
The new laws increased the punishments for porch piracy, as well. Anyone who steals property valued at $40 or more can now be charged with a third-degree felony. While stealing a package worth less than $40 would qualify for a first-degree misdemeanor under the new regulations, repeating that crime could result in a third-degree felony charge.
Rommel said the law was designed to take aim at those taking advantage of Florida residents.
“We have…seen porch pirates target residents by stealing packages, often containing important medications, right off their property. In Florida, we are holding these criminals accountable for their lawlessness,” he said in a statement.
As governments continue to legislate on retail crime, brands and retailers have turned to other means to prevent it.
According to Bloomberg, Target has begun implementing a new system, called TruScan, to hold consumers accountable at self-checkout kiosks.
The technology will use audio and visual notifications to alert consumers of items they fail to scan while checking out, which may help deter retail theft. The big box store made clear last month that it would also enforce a 10-item limit at its self-checkout stations, though when announcing that, it made no mention of retail theft, instead citing customer preferences.
Target declined to comment on the introduction of TruScan into its nearly 2,000 stores nationwide.
