Florida’s DeSantis Takes Swipes at Cities Where Crime is Surging, Signs Law Boosting Penalties for Theft

As businesses across the country flee from areas where rampant theft makes operating difficult, Florida is making changes aimed at preventing theft in the state. Standing at a lectern in a Walgreens pharmacy in Stuart, Florida on April 9, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 549 into law. Sent to him from the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, the new law increases penalties for retail theft and for stealing just-delivered packages from homes, a crime known as “porch piracy.” The governor bemoaned the fact that theft forces retailers to raise prices and lock down items, passing along higher costs and more inconvenience to law-abiding shoppers and decreased profits for businesses....