copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-08): FACT CHECK: No, San Francisco Does Not Have A Sign That Reads ‘Stolen Goods Must Remain Under $950′ A photo shared on X allegedly shows a sign located in San Francisco that reads "stolen goods must remain under $950." [...] — Ron M. (@Jewtastic) June 30, 2024 "This Act reduces most drug possession offenses and thefts of property valued under $950.00 from felonies to misdemeanors," the Superior Court of California site reads. "This does not happen automatically however – it is up to the persons convicted of these offenses to petition/apply to the Court for resentencing as a misdemeanor." Check Your Fact previously debunked the claim that the law legalizes stealing up to $950 worth of merchandise in stores.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-02): Have you seen photos on social media of a street sign that reads, "Notice, Stolen goods must remain under $950″? The photos were taken in San Francisco and appear to be referring to a right-wing disinformation campaign that claims theft has been legalized in California. But the signs weren’t put there by any government entity. They’re a prank. [...] What’s the idea behind the sign? It’s most likely a reference to the fact that the state of California raised the threshold for when shoplifting goes from a misdemeanor to a felony back in 2014. The threshold in California is $950, which some people think is too high. Fox News has done several segments on the topic, claiming that California has "legalized" shoplifting, which is complete nonsense. The idea is fueled by cellphone videos aired by conservative media that give viewers the impression that theft is non-stop in the state. [...] Given the number of fake official-looking signs that have sprung up in San Francisco over the past decade, it seems unlikely we’ll ever learn who was behind the "stolen goods" sign that’s been going viral in recent days. All we can say for sure is that it’s not a real sign put out by the city. And despite what you might see on Fox News or X, retail stores in California aren’t really a lawless Mad Max hellscape. You have to drive the freeways in L.A. to experience that.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-02): Is a San Francisco street sign that reads "NOTICE: STOLEN GOODS MUST REMAIN UNDER $950" real? No, that's not true: The office of the mayor of San Francisco said the sign was not approved by the city. Nearby Louis Vuitton associates labeled it a "prank." The original poster of this claim wrote on X that the signage was not legitimate. The claim appeared in a post on X, formerly Twitter, (archived here) on June 30, 2024 with the caption reading, "San Francisco, where theft is fully legalized 👇." The post included a photo of what appeard to be a street sign bolted to a light pole outside a Louis Vuitton store. That sign read: [...] An advanced search (archived here) on X led to the first post that included the photo with the purported sign. On June 29, 2024, @Jewtastic posted the claim on X with this caption, "California - Signs are posted to alert criminals they can happily steal with zero consequence as long as the goods are worth less than $950 dollars." They followed up this post with a disclaimer (archived here):
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-02): These unauthorized signs were apparently real and placed in Union Square, creating a viral uproar among people who believed the signs’ official-looking claim that "stolen goods must remain under $950." Among the community of people who actually pay Elon Musk $8 a month for a blue check mark on Twitter, the latest outrage du jour is a series of signs spotted near high-end Union Square SF retailers saying, "Notice, Stolen goods must remain under $950." California - Signs are posted to alert criminals they can happily steal with zero consequence as long as the goods are worth less than $950 dollars. pic.twitter.com/QzK02FJNwF — Ron M. (@Jewtastic) June 30, 2024
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-06-30): City officials did not post street signs in San Francisco that appeared to warn thieves that "stolen goods must remain under $950," the city’s Board of Supervisors president said. The city has removed the signs. [...] A June 30 Instagram post showed four photos of street signs, including one outside a shop operated by high-end fashion retailer Louis Vuitton. The signs said "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950." [...] We rate the claim that the city of San Francisco posted street signs warning thieves that "stolen goods must remain under $950" False.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): A sign reading ‘Stolen goods must remain under $950″ is seen in San Francisco, California in late June 2024. (Twitter) [...] The sign first appeared late last month outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco. It read, "NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950." Under Proposition 47, which California voters approved in 2014, retail theft under $950 is prosecuted only as a misdemeanor. Critics argue the law has contributed to a surge in smash-and-grab and flash mob-style robberies in the Golden State in recent years.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2021-07-14): But city leaders are pushing back at that image after the release Monday of a midyear public safety report. Police data shows overall thefts are down 9 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2020, when the city was on lockdown and many businesses closed during the onset of the pandemic. [...] In an interview with NBC News last week, Scott suggested that California's Proposition 47, which voters passed in 2014 and lowered criminal sentences for certain nonviolent crimes like shoplifting and check forgery, is being exploited by those who want to commit theft. The initiative set a threshold of $950 for shoplifting to be considered a misdemeanor, which doesn't prompt law enforcement to make an arrest, rather than a felony, which could incur harsh penalties like jail time. "Some people calculate, 'Hey, you know, I don't want to go over the $950, so let me steal $949 worth of property,'" Scott said.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2021-06-17): This is no coincidence. Permissive state and local policies and attitudes have signaled to thieves that San Francisco is a perfect "shopping" destination: a mecca for organized retail crime. In 2014, a statewide law (Proposition 47) reclassified nonviolent thefts as misdemeanors for stolen goods worth less than $950. California’s property crime immediately spiked from below the national average to above it and has continued to grow. And San Francisco, as of 2019, had twice the property-crime rate per resident — 1 in 18 — as the rest of California; not to mention that San Francisco’s rate of violent crime per resident is 50 percent above California’s. [...] These same patterns are afoot here in New York City, where crooks travel from The Bronx, where Duane Reade stores (a subsidiary of Walgreens) are manned by armed guards, to the easy pickings of less-secured Upper West Side locations. As in Frisco, Gotham’s shoplifters steal whatever they can fence. They include ice-cream nabbers, who clear out shelves of Häagen-Dazs cartons to resell to bodegas and individuals for whatever profit they can turn.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): Photo of fake sign in downtown SF appearing to mock CA retail theft law goes viral [...] The sign, which reads "stolen goods must remain under $950," appears to mock retail theft law in California. In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-01-07): Message re: San Francisco puts up theft warning signs...for the thieves [...] You can easily find one handbag in Louie Vuitton San Fran store in the photo, worth $950. Or one pair of shoes or perfume. Two items stolen there would land them in jail. [...] They will steal under $950 and come back 5 minutes later and steal again. Rinse and repeat.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): Photo of sign apparently mocking California retail theft law goes viral by: Aaron Tolentino, Alix Martichoux [...] The sign, which reads "STOLEN GOODS MUST REMAIN UNDER $950," appears to mock retail theft law in California. In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor. That has been the case since voters passed Proposition 47 in 2014.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-02): Photo of fake sign in downtown SF appearing to mock CA retail theft law goes viral by: Aaron Tolentino [...] The sign, which reads "stolen goods must remain under $950," appears to mock retail theft law in California. In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor, which has been the case since voters passed Proposition 47 in 2014.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): A June 30 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows several pictures of street signs that say, "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950." The post's caption reads, "San Francisco, California, US. In 2014 Voters approved Prop. 47 to downgrade drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors. Today they’re putting up signs to defend it. California under Newsom. Theft is now fully legalized." [...] San Francisco officials did not create the signs, a city spokesperson said. Theft was not "fully legalized" by the California measure that reclassified as a misdemeanor the shoplifting of items valued at less than $950. It is punishable with up to six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): On June 30, 2024, an X account posted a photo of a sign outside a Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco that told thieves any goods they steal must cost less than $950. [...] The sign appeared to reference Proposition 47, Californian legislation that turned thefts of goods worth less than $950 into misdemeanors in 2014. [...] When asked whether San Francisco allows people to steal goods with a value of less than $950, she replied: "Of course not."
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-04): SAN FRANCISCO — Mysterious signs in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood stating "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950" recently drew the attention of millions on social media and left many perplexed. [...] The sign appears to reference a California law under which stealing $950 or less in money or items from a business during open hours is considered misdemeanor shoplifting rather than burglary.
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2024-07-03): A recent social media post of a phony sign that appeared to be outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco has further stoked that debate. Designed to resemble a municipal-issued street sign, it read, "NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950." The sign appeared to mock California’s retail theft law, which is considered a misdemeanor if the value of the stolen goods is less than $950. [...] Pursuant to Penal Code section 459.5, Prop 47 defines shoplifting "as entering a commercial establishment while the establishment is open during regular business hours with the intent to commit larceny where the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Any act of shoplifting must be charged as shoplifting and may not be charged as burglary or theft." [...] Touting the proposed measure to Proposition 47, a press release issued Monday by Newsom’s office notes that California "has the 10th toughest threshold nationally for prosecutors to charge suspects with a felony, $950. Forty other states — including Texas ($2,500), Alabama ($1,500), and Mississippi ($1,000) — require higher dollar amounts for suspects to be charged with a felony."
Claim: The city of San Francisco posted street signs warning that “stolen goods must remain under $950.” (Instagram post, 2024-06-30)
Evidence (2021-08-03): Why is shoplifting so rampant? Because state law holds that stealing merchandise worth $950 or less is just a misdemeanor, which means that law enforcement probably won’t bother to investigate, and if they do, prosecutors will let it go. [...] It is not just pharmacies that are being ransacked. Recently, San Francisco’s Neiman Marcus was targeted by thieves who had a hankering for designer handbags and hit the purse department hard. The video shows one after another, after another, running out, as apparently there were 10 thieves, and they stole over the $950-per-thief misdemeanor limit. [...] Governor Newsom recently signed a new law in which shoplifting is a felony, even if it is below the $950 limit, if—and this is a big "if"—the theft is part of an organized ring with the intent to sell the stolen goods. Sadly, this may have little effect on shoplifting, given that most of these thefts are by individuals, rather than groups, and it will still be up to police and prosecutors to charge these as felonies. What is needed is a change to the state law that makes shoplifting at a much lower dollar level a felony, to provide adequate incentives to individuals not to commit these crimes.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2021-01-22): Iowa voters will decide in 2022 whether to add a state Constitution amendment affirming the right to bear arms. Support for the amendment has fallen along party lines. Opposing Democrats refer to a poll that says an overwhelming number of even gun owners support background checks for gun buyers.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2021-01-22): "Statistic: 86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from." [...] One of the survey’s questions was: "Do you support or oppose requiring a background check on all gun buyers?" 86 percent of respondents said support, 7 percent said oppose, and 8 percent said unsure, according to the Giffords report on the poll. [...] A March 2019 poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that 87 percent of national gun owners support "requiring background checks for all gun owners." The poll surveyed 1,120 national voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2019-10-16): Despite deep partisan divisions on the issue, there has been a modest rise in support for stricter gun laws in the United States since 2017, a new Pew Research Center survey has found. [...] As with attitudes on many gun-related issues, there are sharp partisan divides about whether gun laws should be stricter. Currently, 86% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor stricter gun laws, compared with 31% of Republicans and Republican leaners. The share of Democrats who support stricter gun laws has risen 11 percentage points since 2017, while there has been 7-point increase in support among Republicans. [...] Similarly, large majorities in both parties continue to favor making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks (93% of Democrats, 82% of Republicans).
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2022-05-31): Polls consistently show majority support for gun background checks [...] In an April 2022 poll, The Economist/YouGov asked about requiring "criminal and mental background checks" for all gun buyers — a specific phrase we didn’t see regularly in all polls. It found 72% overall either strongly or somewhat favored, while 83% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans held that view. [...] Polls during the past few years show overall support for gun background checks in the ballpark of 90%. Kerr suggested the statistic applied regardless of political party, and it clearly does for Democrats, who often support background checks at rates higher than 90%. But among Republicans, we found some polls suggesting their support is closer to the 80% range, slightly less than Kerr suggested.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2022-07-12): Consistent with other recent polls, more Americans want stricter gun laws than want less strict laws or no change. More than half of Americans (54%) want stricter gun laws, 25% want no change, and only 13% favor less strict gun laws. [...] Four in five Americans at least somewhat favor enhanced background checks for prospective gun buyers under 21, including 86% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents. Americans showed a similar pattern when asked about their support for expanding criminal and mental background checks for buying guns to include juvenile records: 80% were in support, including 86% of Democrats, 77% of Independents, and 77% of Republicans. [...] People who personally own a gun (32%) are less likely to support preventing gun owners from carrying a concealed gun in public, compared to people from gun-free households (57%) and people from households where someone else owns a gun (51%). But gun ownership seems to generate less of a divide when it comes to enhancing background checks: 86% of people from gun-free households and 77% of gun owners support enhanced background checks for gun buyers under 21. Similarly, 86% of people from gun-free households and 82% of gun owners support including juvenile records in criminal and mental background checks.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2021-04-15): - 89 - 8 percent support requiring background checks for all gun buyers; [...] Question 24. Do you support or oppose requiring background checks for all gun buyers? ADULTS..................................................... WHITE........ 4 YR COLL DEG Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes No Support 89% 84% 98% 88% 82% 95% 91% 89% Oppose 8 11 2 10 14 3 7 9 DK/NA 3 4 - 2 3 2 2 2 AGE IN YRS.............. WHITE..... 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Men Wom Wht Blk Hsp Support 91% 91% 89% 91% 84% 95% 90% 95% 89% Oppose 7 7 10 8 13 4 8 5 9 DK/NA 2 2 2 1 3 1 2 - 2 GUN......... DENSITY............ Hshld Owner City Suburb Rural Support 88% 85% 92% 92% 84% Oppose 10 13 7 5 14 DK/NA 2 2 1 3 2 -
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2024-09-24): Gun Owners Join Non-Gun Owners in Supporting Background Checks [...] Still, gun owners match non-gun owners in support for making background checks a blanket requirement for gun purchases, with 95% and 96%, respectively, in favor. This is the first time Gallup has measured support for background checks using the current question wording. However, posing a slightly different question in 2015 that specified the law would use a "centralized database across all 50 states," Gallup found 86% in favor of universal background checks for all gun purchases. Additionally, a 1999 Gallup question that measured support for mandatory background checks, including purchases made at gun shows, found 87% of Americans in favor.
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2024-05-30): Latest True Fact-checks in Guns Social Media stated on May 30, 2024 in a post: Under federal law, former President Donald Trump’s "felony convictions mean he can no longer possess guns." Bryan Steil stated on November 15, 2022 in Twitter: In Milwaukee, "The (homicide) rate has nearly doubled in the past two years." Everytown for Gun Safety stated on October 10, 2022 in an ad: "Kari Lake is opposed to red flag laws." A Better Wisconsin Together stated on September 12, 2022 in Campaign ad: Says Tim Michels "opposes closing the loophole that allows domestic abusers to buy guns." Levar Stoney stated on June 16, 2022 in a tweet.: "In Virginia, Black people are eight times (8X) more likely than white people to die of gun homicide." Cavalier Johnson stated on April 9, 2022 in TV interview: In a recent year, the Milwaukee Police Department "collected more guns per capita off the streets than in New York." Beth Wessel-Kroeschell stated on January 22, 2021 in public comments: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." [...] Beth Wessel-Kroeschell stated on January 22, 2021 in public comments: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check."
Claim: "86% of Americans and 82% of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check." (Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, 2021-01-22)
Evidence (2020-01-26): We looked at other polls in recent years and found that between 82% and 95% of Republicans stated support for background checks for all buyers. [...] Quinnipiac polls between 2013 and 2019 showed that between 86% and 92% of Republicans supported background checks for all buyers. [...] PolitiFact, Gabrielle Giffords says N.H. Republicans, gun owners support background checks, July 8, 2013