San Francisco prosecutors file charges in city’s first Prop 36 case

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – San Francisco burglar Jason Barber, 29, is no stranger to the criminal justice system. He has seven convictions for theft on his record, prosecutors said. Barber is scheduled to be arraigned in the Hall of Justice Friday afternoon on new charges stemming from another shoplifting incident he allegedly committed on Christmas Eve.

This time, Barber faces more serious charges — his case marks the city’s first case filed under Proposition 36, prosecutors said.

Prop 36 was passed in November by California voters fed up with rampant retail theft. The new law, which came into force on December 18, increased the penalties for repeat thieves. Instead of citing and releasing suspects for crimes, thieves with long rap sheets are now being arrested and charged with crimes.

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Barber allegedly spent Christmas Eve shoplifting from a Walgreens store on Castro Street in Noe Valley. Prosecutors said she put more than $400 worth of cough and cold medicine in a bag and left without paying. Officers found Barber at a Muni bus stop a few blocks away and arrested him.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, “I would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department for their continued efforts to address this insane retail theft. My office has worked closely with law enforcement and retailers to address retail theft, and now, thanks to voters, we have new tools available to remove the consequences and ensure that those who break our laws repeatedly are held accountable.”

The San Francisco Police Department said officers with the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Task Force have made dozens of arrests in recent months. Officers will continue to conduct operations throughout San Francisco to reduce burglaries at local businesses, police said.

Another San Francisco man, Matthew Foster, 38, was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at the Metro Mall in Colma earlier this week.

Foster used a suitcase to steal nearly $200 worth of items, police said. The Colma Police Department wrote, “(Foster) was on Post-Release Community Supervision Probation (PRCS). A criminal background check conducted by our dispatchers revealed that this man had four prior convictions for theft and three prior convictions for drug offenses. With the new Proposition 36 law coming into effect on December 18th, this man was arrested for theft and drug possession with a history.”

Foster was booked into a San Mateo County jail on charges that include theft, drug possession and shoplifting.

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