Florida governor signs law that imposes harsher penalties for retail crimes

Ron DeSantis claims Florida won't go down without a fight when it comes to retail crime.

Florida's governor signed new laws against retail crime at a press conference on Tuesday. The newly passed law fulfills promises DeSantis made in February regarding retail crime.

Florida House of Representatives member Bob Rommel proposed HB 549, the bill DeSantis signed into law, in November. It passed the Florida House of Representatives in February, just days after DeSantis and Rommel highlighted its importance at a news conference, and was subsequently passed by the state Senate in March.

The bill targets both retail criminals and porch pirates.

It provides that anyone who engages in a retail crime with five or more people can be charged with a third-degree felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. If people involved in a crime ring consisting of five or more people use social media to encourage others to participate, the penalty can range up to a second-degree felony with a possible penalty of 15 years in prison. And anyone who commits retail crimes with a firearm – or has been convicted of retail theft at least twice before – can be charged with a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

According to the governor's office, the bill also allows officials to charge a person who commits multiple counts of retail theft within 120 days with a felony, but does not specify the severity of that offense. Previous Florida law allowed repeat offenders to be charged within 30 days.

DeSantis said the new law is intended to distinguish Florida from other states such as New York and California, which the governor has repeatedly criticized for leniency on retail crime.

“Florida is taking another step to distance ourselves from lawless jurisdictions and ensure the safety of our residents and businesses,” DeSantis said in a statement. “If you steal in Florida, we will catch you and prosecute you.”

The new laws also increased penalties for porch piracy. Anyone who steals property valued at $40 or more can now be charged with a third-degree felony. While stealing a package worth less than $40 is a first-degree misdemeanor under the new rules, repeating that crime could result in a third-degree felony.

Rommel said the law is designed to target those who take advantage of Florida residents.

“We have…seen porch pirates target residents by stealing packages, often containing essential medications, directly from their properties. In Florida, we hold these criminals accountable for their lawlessness,” he said in a statement.

As governments continue to legislate against retail crime, brands and retailers have used other means to prevent it.

According to Bloomberg, Target has begun implementing a new system called TruScan to hold consumers accountable at self-checkouts.

The technology uses audio and visual notifications to alert consumers to items they don't scan at checkout, which can help prevent retail theft. The major supermarket made it clear last month that it would also enforce a 10-item limit at its self-checkouts. However, he made no mention of retail theft when making the announcement, instead citing customer preferences.

Target declined to comment on TruScan's rollout at its nearly 2,000 stores nationwide.