Street sign mocking California’s retail theft problem goes viral

A street sign in San Francisco mocking California’s retail theft law is not official and has suddenly vanished, the city tells KTLA sister station KRON4 .

The sign first appeared late last month outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco. It reads, “NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950.”

Under Proposition 47 , which California voters approved in 2014, retail theft under $950 is prosecuted only as a misdemeanor. Critics say the law has contributed to a surge in smash-and-grab and flash mob-style robberies in the Golden State in recent years.

This November, voters will decide on a ballot measure rolling back some of Prop 47’s provisions.

A San Francisco Department of Public Works spokesperson told KRON4 that the city did not put up the sign, even though it looked convincingly official. When a city worker was sent on Sunday to check it out, it was already gone.

Some people speculated that the sign was Photoshopped or AI-generated, but Gizmodo determined that it was, in fact, real.

“The sign was captured from multiple angles,” Gizmodo explained.

Another photo of the same sign was also seen outside the Dior store nearby, which fell victim to a smash-and-grab last fall in which around $150,000 worth of items were stolen.

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