On July 30, 2024 members of Inland Action met with Sheriff Dicus. A 40-year resident of the County, he has served 32 years with the Sheriff’s Department. San Bernardino County covers 20K miles and has over 2M residents. Sheriff Dicus discussed California Proposition 36, Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act.
Proposition 36 began as an initiative from the District Attorney to reform Prop 47, approved by voters in 2014. The required signatures have been acquired and it will now be on the November ballot. This bi-partisan measure provides targeted reforms to Proposition 47 that legislative proposals alone are unable to deliver. Prop 47 reclassified six minor felony offenses to misdemeanors, including shoplifting and simple drug possession and increased the felony ceiling from $400 to $950. If approved, people with at least 2 prior theft convictions could be charged with felonies even if the stolen goods total less than $950 as it qualifies them under the three strikes law.
Inland Action has long advocated for legislation that addresses retail theft and related issues.