CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 981Introduced by Senator WahabJanuary 29, 2024 An act relating to law enforcement.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSB 981, as introduced, Wahab. Retail theft: arrest authority.Existing law defines grand theft as theft committed in specified cases, including when the property taken is of a value exceeding $950, punishable as a felony, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, requires the theft of money, labor, or property to be considered petty theft, punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Existing law authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense in the officers presence, the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the officers presence, or the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether or not a felony, in fact, has been committed.This bill would state the Legislatures intent to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 981Introduced by Senator WahabJanuary 29, 2024 An act relating to law enforcement.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSB 981, as introduced, Wahab. Retail theft: arrest authority.Existing law defines grand theft as theft committed in specified cases, including when the property taken is of a value exceeding $950, punishable as a felony, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, requires the theft of money, labor, or property to be considered petty theft, punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Existing law authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense in the officers presence, the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the officers presence, or the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether or not a felony, in fact, has been committed.This bill would state the Legislatures intent to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 981
Introduced by Senator WahabJanuary 29, 2024
Introduced by Senator Wahab
January 29, 2024
An act relating to law enforcement.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 981, as introduced, Wahab. Retail theft: arrest authority.
Existing law defines grand theft as theft committed in specified cases, including when the property taken is of a value exceeding $950, punishable as a felony, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, requires the theft of money, labor, or property to be considered petty theft, punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Existing law authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense in the officers presence, the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the officers presence, or the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether or not a felony, in fact, has been committed.This bill would state the Legislatures intent to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
Existing law defines grand theft as theft committed in specified cases, including when the property taken is of a value exceeding $950, punishable as a felony, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, requires the theft of money, labor, or property to be considered petty theft, punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Existing law authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense in the officers presence, the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the officers presence, or the officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether or not a felony, in fact, has been committed.
This bill would state the Legislatures intent to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest a person suspected of retail theft if the officer did not observe the commission of the crime.
### SECTION 1.