"California Democrat Acknowledges Mistake as Rising Retail Theft Sparks Call for Task Force"

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa, a Democrat, expressed frustration over rising retail theft in California and admitted that supporting Prop 47, which downgraded certain thefts and drug possession crimes to misdemeanors, was a "big mistake." Canepa proposed a task force to address the wave of retail theft and called for tougher laws to lower the threshold for felony charges. He blamed state laws for hindering efforts to hold shoplifters accountable and warned that without changes, shopping centers and retail giants could face extinction due to continuous looting by criminal mobs.