The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.”
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People walk past a boarded storefront window of a Salvatore Ferragamo store in 2021 following robberies in San Francisco's Union Square neighborhood. (AP)
San Francisco street signs warning of $950 retail theft limit were not posted by city government
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City officials did not post street signs in San Francisco that appeared to warn thieves that "stolen goods must remain under $950," the city’s Board of Supervisors president said. The city has removed the signs.
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Proposition 47, a California ballot measure voters passed in 2014, lowered some nonviolent felony crimes to misdemeanors, including shoplifting, as long as items taken totaled less than $950. People convicted of that crime face six months in prison and/or fines of up to $1,000.
Viral social media posts claimed a 2014 law has made retail theft in California so bad that San Francisco city officials posted street signs reminding thieves how much they can shoplift without being charged with a felony.
A June 30 Instagram post showed four photos of street signs, including one outside a shop operated by high-end fashion retailer Louis Vuitton. The signs said "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950."
The Instagram post’s caption said, "In 2014 Voters approved Prop. 47 to downgrade drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors. Today they’re putting up signs to defend it. California under (Democratic Gov. Gavin) Newsom. Theft is now fully legalized."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
We found numerous social media posts sharing one or more images of the signs across social media platforms. One X post with 2.5 million views as of July 2 said, "Welcome to Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco…!"
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Other posts called the signs "performance art," or shared the photos, then followed up with replies saying the photos were satire.
The signs did appear on San Francisco streets, but they were not posted by the city.
Aaron Peskin, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ president, represents District 3, which includes Union Square, where at least three signs in the social media posts were photographed.
Peskin, in an email to PolitiFact, said the signs "were not put up by the city and were removed."
"They were real. They appear to have been put up yesterday in three locations and removed yesterday and today," Peskin said July 1.
(Instagram screenshot)
Featured Fact-check
California voters in 2014 approved Proposition 47, a ballot measure that downgraded some nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors. Those crimes include shoplifting, for which suspects are charged with a misdemeanor and not a felony if the value of the stolen goods doesn’t exceed $950.
Retail crime remains a problem in California, and social media posts sharing photos of the signs claim San Francisco officials put them outside high-end retailers to warn thieves of the $950 limit.
It’s unclear who posted the signs. Critics have targeted the law and the $950 threshold, blaming them for increased crime. The law has been the target of misinformation from people who say shoplifters face no legal consequences for their actions.
Theft is not "fully legalized," as the Instagram post claimed. There are consequences for shoplifting under Prop 47. People convicted of that crime face penalties of up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
Voters might see competing ballot measures cracking down on crime — with one rolling back Prop 47 and the other tweaking the $950 threshold — on the state’s November ballot.
We rate the claim that the city of San Francisco posted street signs warning thieves that "stolen goods must remain under $950" False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, June 30, 2024 (archived)
Email interview, Aaron Peskin, San Francisco Board of Supervisors president, July 1, 2024
Cal Matters, California voters will decide an anti-crime measure in November. Democrats say this one is better , June 30, 2024
California Legislature, SB-1381 Crime, July 1, 2024
Office of the California Attorney General, Initiative 23-0017 -Amendment Number One , Sept. 22, 2023
Los Angeles Times, California lawmakers want to curb retail theft, but say it’s not as easy as it sounds, Dec. 20, 2023
Axios, California looks to target serial retail theft with new legislation, April 10, 2024
California Courts, Proposition 47 "The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act", May 2017
Los Angeles County Public Defender, What is Prop 47?, accessed July 1, 2024
USA Today, No, California Proposition 47 doesn't allow you to steal $950 in store items | Fact check, Sept. 13, 2023
Verify This, No, you can’t steal up to $950 worth of merchandise in California without consequence under Prop 47, Feb. 23, 2022
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San Francisco street signs warning of $950 retail theft limit were not posted by city government
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