EDITORIAL: What Nevada needs to stop retail theft

Small businesses are worried about shoplifters. Nevada Democrats are worried about shoplifters going to jail.

That disconnect was on full display recently. Gen X is a clothing store on Decatur Boulevard. Store manager Omar Camargo said that thefts there happen routinely. The store and its employees are trying to stop them. At the front of the store are pictures of people who aren’t allowed to enter because of their past efforts to help themselves to a five-finger discount. The store also prohibits large backpacks and bags.

But words on paper often aren’t enough to deter someone intent on committing a crime. That requires confrontation. Last Monday, three women in their 20s were stealing from the store, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. In the process, they attacked an 89-year-old security guard. The condition of the guard isn’t known.

At an event last month, small-business owners highlighted the problem of shoplifting. “Retail crime is a huge issue,” said Bryan Wachter, president of the Retail Association of Southern Nevada.

Catherine Francisco is the president and founder of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce of Southern Nevada. She said members of her group have experienced an “alarming increase” in retail crime. Ms. Francisco urged small-business owners to report crimes to the police.

That statement should raise a red flag. Why wouldn’t a business reflexively call the police after being robbed? Because stores know the police won’t arrest the criminals. Even if they do, the criminals are unlikely to go to jail. They soon realize that reporting crime is an exercise in futility.

In 2019, Democrats, led by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, gutted penalties for many crimes, including shoplifting. They raised the threshold for felony theft to $1,200. Steal $1,000 worth of clothes in Nevada, and you’re guilty only of a misdemeanor.

Before passing the bill, Mr. Yeager openly complained about sending criminals to jail. “We are sending too many people to prison for nonviolent crimes for too long,” he wrote in 2019.

He has a point. But rampant retail theft is hardly a victimless crime. And tolerating property crimes against business owners is a recipe for more property crime and has been a disaster for Nevada retailers. Yet Mr. Yeager, who wants a promotion to the Clark County Commission, wrote on these pages in 2022, “There is no evidence the bill has resulted in increased crime in Nevada.”

While there may be room for leniency for first-time offenders or others facing unusual circumstances, those who repeatedly shoplift or steal, or criminals involved in organized theft operations, deserve to face real consequences.

It’s time for Mr. Yeager and other Nevada Democrats to admit their mistake. They should follow Gov. Joe Lombardo’s lead and support increased penalties for shoplifting. There’s no need to call a special legislative session, but if Gov. Lombardo does call one, this should top the agenda.

Putting people in prison is expensive but so is tolerating retail theft. Just ask Gen X’s 89-year-old security guard.