CAPE CORAL, Fla. — On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the Cape Coral Police Department to support legislation that would crack down on retail theft.
Currently, the governor said the Sunshine State's laws for shoplifters are not strong enough.
“Right now we have a situation in Florida where you only get a felony if you do five different retail thefts within a 45-day period,” said Governor DeSantis.
In Cape Coral, people like Ralph Sangiovanni, owner of Razzle Dazzle off Cape Coral Parkway discussed the impact of shoplifting on local businesses.
“...Steals let's stay 15-20 articles of clothing that's a major hit on the bottom line,” said Sangiovanni.
Thats why Governor DeSantis said he wants stiffer penalties.
Those penalties would include felony charges for people with repeat retail thefts, anyone who is caught using social media to recruit people to steal, and a first-degree felony for someone who uses a gun to steal.
Governor DeSantis also spoke about upping the penalty for someone who steals items from people's porches.
Below is a full list of the changes Governor DeSantis was advocating for:
