In California, the number of store thefts has reached such a level that the police are not able to respond to everything and can now only focus on major crimes, according to Hoover.
Now, thefts in the amount of less than 950 dollars will not even be prosecuted - the state police simply do not have enough resources for such cases. “The practical reality is that most retailers have learned that if they call law enforcement about a theft of less than 950 dollars, law enforcement will either not respond or simply issue a subpoena”, - El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson told reporters.
Owners of small shops, from which they steal less than 950 dollars, can only hope for luck, since they do not have the right to protect their property on their own by law - in which case thieves can accuse them of violence and bodily harm.