Viral street signs not proof that theft is legal in California | Fact check
The claim: San Francisco posted signs allowing theft of $950 in items
A June 30 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows several pictures of street signs that say, "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950."
The post's caption reads, "San Francisco, California, US. In 2014 Voters approved Prop. 47 to downgrade drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors. Today they’re putting up signs to defend it. California under Newsom. Theft is now fully legalized."
The post garnered more than 8,000 likes in three days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: False
San Francisco officials did not create the signs, a city spokesperson said. Theft was not "fully legalized" by the California measure that reclassified as a misdemeanor the shoplifting of items valued at less than $950. It is punishable with up to six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.
Theft signs not authentic
Rachel Gordon, a San Francisco Department of Public Works spokesperson, told USA TODAY the signs shown in the post weren't sanctioned by the city.
Nevertheless, both the signs and the Instagram post paint a misleading picture of Proposition 47, which was passed by California voters in 2014.
USA TODAY previously debunked the claim that the proposition allows theft of up to $950 worth of goods.
The proposition made some nonviolent property crimes misdemeanors, including shoplifting, which the proposition defines as "entering a commercial establishment during regular business hours where the property taken or intended to be taken is $950 or less."
Charis Kubrin, a criminology professor at the University of California, Irvine, previously told USA TODAY that the proposition didn't legalize theft of up to $950 worth of goods.
“What Prop. 47 did was reclassify some low-level drug and property offenses as misdemeanors rather than felonies – still keeping them as crimes,” Kubrin said.
Fact check: No, California Proposition 47 doesn't allow you to steal $950 in store items
The proposition's text states those convicted of shoplifting face up to six months in jail and/or fines of up to $1,000, while those with certain prior convictions may face sentences between 16 months and three years.
The proposition notes that "any other entry with intent to commit theft" is considered a burglary. Second-degree burglary, which involves nonresidential buildings like stores and businesses, may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony in what's referred to as a "wobbler."
In those cases, judges may choose to impose a felony punishment of up to three years in a county jail, Kubrin said.
USA TODAY reached out to the users who shared the post for comment but didn't immediately receive responses.
Our fact-check sources:
Rachel Gordon, July 1, Email exchange with USA TODAY
California Courts, May 19, 2017, Proposition 47
USA TODAY, Sept. 13, 2023, No, California Proposition 47 doesn't allow you to steal $950 in store items | Fact check
Gorelick Law Offices, accessed July 2, Burglary Charges In California
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, theft wasn't legalized in California | Fact check
