Albertsons and Kroger are pushing a tough on crime bill, aimed at punishing shoplifters
In California, a ballot measure called Proposition 20, aimed at rolling back penalties on shoplifting, was launched and financed primarily by law enforcement groups. But a Los Angeles Times report finds that grocery stores have been backing it, too—not just national chains like Albertsons and Kroger, but also regional chains like Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, and Raley’s. Even mom-and-pop stores are chipping in donations. Before the pandemic pushed millions of Californians into desperate straits, the grocers said that shoplifting and organized retail crime had been on the rise—due to criminal justice reforms, they believe.
