Shoplifting has been decriminalized in California. Store management teams that take it on themselves to grab shoplifters can be sued for the effrontery of protecting store property.

Police stopped apprehending shoplifters because it wasn’t worth their time as thieves were released.

It’s broader than that.

Some large retailers including Goodwill, Walmart and Bloomingdale’s sought to punish shoplifters by requiring them to take a class in “life skills” to avoid a criminal complaint. The San Francisco city attorney then sued the educational company that provided the classes for extortion and false imprisonment.

This sort of larceny has exploded since the decriminalization, and the thefts have cost businesses in the state billions of dollars.

This is “defunding” law enforcement at the fount.

Here’s the start, from that, of an economic trend that could get very uncomfortable for Californians if the decriminalization isn’t reversed:

A[] Walgreens store in San Francisco, the seventh this year, is closing after its shelves were cleared by looters.

“Defund” law enforcement at the source.