Epic fake street sign in San Francisco mocks California’s retail theft law

A fake street sign mocking California’s retail theft law was put up in downtown San Francisco and has since been removed. The sign, which appeared at the end of June and went viral on social media, was posted outside a Louis Vuitton store and read “NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950.”

The message was in reference to California’s Proposition 47, a law approved in 2014 that reclassifies theft under $950 as a misdemeanor. The law has drawn ire from many Californians who believe it has incentivized more retail thrift and smash-and-grab crimes across the state in the last few years. 

According to KRON4, a spokesperson from the San Francisco Department of Public Works confirmed that the sign was not an official city sign, despite its realistic appearance. They explained that the city had ordered a worker to remove the sign on Sunday, but it had already been taken down by the time they arrived. Photos of the sign circulated widely on social media, initially leading many to believe they were photoshopped until the city verified the sign's existence. Another photo of the same sign was outside the Dior store in San Francisco, where last fall a smash-and-grab resulted in around $150,000 worth of products being stolen.

The sign’s symbolic demonstration against Proposition 47 comes as California planned to have a ballot measure this November for voters to reduce some provisions in the current law. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom and leading democrats in the state abandoned the plan to ask voters if the law should be reformed.