Americans approved a slew of new anti-crime ballot measures in Tuesday’s elections as voters responded to persistent crime in their own backyards.
Ballot measures in Arizona, Colorado and California cracking down on crime all passed with resounding margins, according to multiple sources. Going into election day, 75% of voters said crime was very or somewhat important to their decision at the polls, according to a Gallup poll released Oct. 9.
Proposition 36, which raises penalties for retail theft and drug possession, passed in California with 70% of voter support, according to The Associated Press. The initiative effectively reverses the 2014 Proposition 47, which lowered penalties for retail theft under $950 and certain drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, severely hampering crime enforcement efforts, according to the measure.
The 2014 law had been criticized by opponents…
