San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan supporting harsher penalties for criminals

Proposition 47 greatly reduced penalties for drug offenses and petty crimes. Unfortunately this resulted in dramatic increases in retail theft, which have all but shuttered large parts of San Francisco and other California cities. San Jose has been less impacted, as SJPD has still been aggressive about enforcing what they can.

Now there is a new proposal on the table, Proposition 36, that would bring back more severe penalties for smaller crimes. Instead of any theft less than $950 being categorized as a misdemeanor, repeat offenders could be charged with a felony. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is now fully championing Proposition 36 as a way to combat retail theft and improve safety across San Jose.

Prop 36 also takes a tougher stance on some drug crimes and gives prosecutors the ability to charge someone with a treatment-mandated felony. This will give some alternatives to prison for those that need medical assistance in combating addiction.

Some, including Governor Newsom, have pushed back citing potential increases in our prison population and costs associated with that. However, continuing to just do the same thing is clearly not working. Mahan believe that Prop 36 is not about mass incarceration but addressing repeat offenses and the need for more government accountability to create treatment services.

Having lower crime has significantly benefited San Jose recently, which has seen more and more businesses and shoppers heading south.

Source: The Mercury News