AURORA | Aurora lawmakers cast the first of two planned votes on proposals to introduce mandatory minimum jail sentences for “dine-and-dash” crimes as well as tougher penalties for shoplifters Monday.
The Aurora City Council’s conservative majority voted in favor of the changes, which come as the city reports an increase in retail theft, even as rates of other crimes have fallen.
“This is our opportunity to crack down on it, to make sure that we don’t lose businesses and that we don’t lose businesses potentially coming here,” Councilmember Dustin Zvonek. “That’s the cost that we can’t measure.”
Diners who skip out on their bill at Aurora restaurants and defraud an establishment for $15 or more would be jailed for at least three days under the proposal from council members Danielle Jurinsky and Steve Sundberg. Both city lawmakers own restaurant-bar establishments in Aurora.
Jurinsky is also sponsoring the shoplifting ordinance that would lower the threshold for convicted shoplifters to serve at least three days in jail from stealing more than $300 worth of merchandise to more than $100. Repeat offenders would serve at least three months in jail upon their second conviction for retail theft and at least six months for subsequent convictions.
Progressives pushed Pete Schulte of the Aurora City Attorney’s Office for data illustrating the efficacy or ineffectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences. Schulte referred to a Department of Justice report that examined how jail sentences had lowered rates of property crimes and said he wasn’t aware of any contradictory reports but that he could look into it.
“I guess I would have assumed there was that as part of preparation for this conversation,” Councilmember Crystal Murillo said.
People who planned to speak on a resolution terminating the city’s request for bids from law firms to replace the Aurora Public Defender’s Office also took the opportunity to criticize the philosophy behind mandatory minimums, with deputy state public defender Travis Weiner saying research generally shows that getting caught has more of a deterrent effect than the length of incarceration.
“The average person arrested for a crime, in fact almost everybody arrested for a crime, has no idea what the sentencing range is. Ipso facto, it doesn’t deter,” he said.
Supporters were not swayed, describing mandatory minimums as a common-sense solution to the problem of theft.
“You know you shouldn’t steal. If you steal, there is a consequence. And when people throw off consequences, when they throw off restraint, then we have anarchy,” Councilmember Stephanie Hancock said. “One of the things that I’ve heard every day as I was walking and knocking on doors of people (was that) they’re tired of seeing theft.”
The council voted 7-3 to approve the sentencing changes, with Alison Coombs, Ruben Medina and Murillo voting “no.” Because the items are ordinances, a majority of the council must vote in favor again March 11 to pass them into law.
“When people throw off consequences, when they throw off restraint, then we have anarchy.” Geeze, can you imagine how bad it would be if the president were allowed to commit multiple felonies and get off with no consequences, then still be allowed to run for president again?
Geeze, why do leftists love it when business owners are ripped off, and support nonsense “restorative justice”?
People may not know what the sentencing range is….but word will quickly spread….and business should post signs upon entering. If criminals know they can get away with stealing, they will continue to steal. Look no further than California for that answer. Stores shutting down because they can no longer operate with all of the theft because cities are soft on crime.
This does nothing to prevent crime.
Raise taxes hire police and oh, need to build a BIG jail
Hardworking, honest families are more than ok to pay more to live in a community where basic concepts of right and wrong are enforced.
Most likely the thefts will decline quickly once it becomes clear that Aurora will in fact prosecute.
War on drugs, war on alcohol, war on hunger? Criminals.
I see the council members are pushing mandatory jail for first offense shoplifting. Never mind that state law already covers this – it doesn’t have much in the way of mandatory minimum jail sentences at this level.
And I expect the Adams County and Arapahoe County jails, run by the country sheriffs, will be equally thrilled to house first-time, nonviolent shoplifters who stole an amount less than would ever lead to a jail sentence on a first state theft offense, namely because it’s a petty offense at that level.
As an added bonus, while doing their three days, defendants will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with more advanced criminals who do things like strong-arm robbery, rape and murder. Just think of the educational possibilities!
You can get straight probation for a number of first-time felonies. But these Republican loons have their priorities right where Republicans think they belong: on our least powerful citizens. The Money Power is all that matters to these elected “officials”.
If it hurts your thieving political allies, it’s automatically good, Jeff.
BINGO!!! but they don’t care as evidenced by the lack of research they do
This is great news! We need to be more like Douglas Cty and less like Denver!
The crime is a serious crime. In the old days, the sign the community was going to die was non-payment for gasoline. Then came armed guards in the local pizza hut & Taco Bell. Then the pizza hut and the taco bell closed. The violent crimes and quality of living then go way way way up. And the associated spending on police services etc.
I can tell you what about the pre 1967 world that worked, but no one is going back. Especially the women… but there are some younger women these days who are starting to feel ripped off by unintended consequences of feminism. In them is the hope for a better world.
How did the world use to be, even in extremely poor black communities? #1, more of the schools worked, becuse more of the families worked.
Recommended reading “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” a collection of six essays by Thomas Sowell. Black man straight out of Harlem.
But but but…. then, pre 1967, as is now, the flipping Aroura City Council Members seems to be like a homely bride swept off her feet when Mr. Dashing asks for a dance – i.e., flattered for the attention, the wining and dining, they give the developers almost everything they want {I’ve had friends on the council}.
NO CITY in America has signed off on more PRE-GHETTO NEW apartments.
Do that…. when are the police, jail and courts going to expand? Not to mention medical, schools & libraries. Meanwhile, of the big $$$ people who work in and around Buckley, very few live in Aurora. That’s what smart people do.
And Aurora gave away the farm to win the Gaylord, while missing out on all the migration of good companies out of CA.
What the frick is zoning for? It’s almost never enforced. The city could write 10,000 plus tickets next month for zoning violations, add that to the courts backlog.
(They won’t).
Oh, dear. It really doesn’t help to start any conversation with “in the old days.” Nor does it help to ramble on about issues far off topic.
“NO CITY in America has signed off on more PRE-GHETTO NEW apartments.”
“What the frick is zoning for? It’s almost never enforced. The city could write 10,000 plus tickets next month for zoning violations, add that to the courts backlog.”
WoW– your response is so on point.
You forgot to explain the correlation of all this social feel- good policy in how we have pushed for has created the great new city -alright. So much that a first-class steak house/ any high- end restaurant operation will absolutely not build here. So, they stay away. They see and know the same things that you have mentioned always turn into. You also forgot to mention with all the new building taking place and infills the Aurora Water Dept has quietly lowered the water pressure in the suburbs. My average water PSI is down 10-14 lbs from 10 years ago. People don’t notice this one much, so the water dept can continue without any heavy expensive new re-piping.
Aurora Detention Center holds 220 beds. Wonder how many are used daily.
How many more are needed. That’s assuming we have the resources to catch all these people. Makes you wonder if this is just lip service.
Remarks delivered at 2/26 City Council meeting:
For the last fourteen years I have been a substitute teacher at Central High School, a school that despite is reputation is filled with amazing young people and dedicated and hardworking staff. For part of that time I also worked at Hinkley and prior to that worked at Gateway, Rangeview, Overland, other Cherry Creek schools, DPS and Littleton. I can say ,humbly, that I know a great deal about adolescent behavior. So, please listen carefully to the following. Adolescents do dumb things and that includes shoplifting.
Is it your plan to imprison them for doing so? Do you really think it is a good idea to put a blank mark by their names, one that could conceivably keep them from enlisting and serving their country, which many of them do; could keep them from being accepted by a university or getting scholarships and other financial aid; could keep them from getting an entry level job at Walmart, at Target, at Amazon or any retail employer. Mandatory minimums for shop lifting is bad public policy.
Not only that but, IT DOESN’T WORK! Five minutes of research on line will show you that mandatory minimums have little or no positive effect on crime rates, although they do fill up jails and prisons, public and private.
I’ve been involved in American politics for longer than some of you have been alive. I get it. Some of your constituents, some of whom wield some economic power, want you to do something about shoplifting. But, it seems to me that in this era of privatization, this is a perfect place to do so. Shoplifting sounds like a perfect place for private security, not the APD. Encourage your constituents, in true American tradition, to help themselves. Heck, you could even do something you are good at by giving business owners tax subsidies to hire more security. You could even call it a jobs program, making it a win win solution to the problem.
But, don’t do mandatory minimums for shoplifting. It is morally wrong, potentially ruining the lives of countless young people. You are intelligent folks. You can do better. Please don’t do this.
Shoplifting doesn’t just hurt the business owner, Tim. Tolerating it because “kids do stupid things” is how it got bad in the first place.
“Five minutes of research on line will show you that mandatory minimums have little or no positive effect on crime rates, although they do fill up jails and prisons, public and private.”
LOL–“Don’t prosecute crimes because doing so doesn’t 100% stop crime.”