Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper is publicly breaking with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Democratic lawmakers over crime policy, accusing state leaders of failing to back tougher enforcement despite growing voter demand.
In a wide-ranging interview on California Politics 360, Cooper said California has not gone far enough to address repeat theft, drug crime, domestic violence, and the state’s mental health diversion system, arguing that elected officials have prioritized criminal justice reforms over victims.
Asked whether Newsom and the Democratic-controlled state Legislature have done enough on crime, Cooper did not hesitate.
“Not enough. Not enough,” Cooper said. “It’s just frustrating that people are hesitant to do anything.”
The criticism marks a growing divide within California’s Democratic Party over public safety, an issue Republicans have highlighted for years as they argue Democratic policies have contributed to crime and disorder.
Much of Cooper’s frustration centers on Proposition 36, the 2024 ballot measure that passed overwhelmingly, with nearly 70% of the vote in every California county, despite opposition from Newsom and most Democratic leaders.
The measure increased penalties for repeat retail theft and certain drug crimes, including fentanyl trafficking, while creating a treatment-mandated felony that allows judges to require eligible offenders to complete drug or mental health treatment in exchange for having a felony dismissed. It also rolled back portions of Proposition 47, the 2014 initiative that reduced penalties for many theft and drug possession offenses and has long been criticized by law enforcement as adding to repeat offending.
“Not one statewide official supported it. And that’s troubling,” Cooper said.
Although sheriff’s departments and prosecutors have begun enforcing the law, Cooper argued the state has failed to provide enough money to make it work.
“The issue is no funding,” he said. “No funding came with it.”
Newsom and lawmakers say this year’s budget includes $375 million to help implement Proposition 36. However, budget documents show only $50 million is specifically dedicated to helping courts and pretrial services handle the additional workload created by the measure.
Even so, Cooper said retailers are already reporting fewer thefts.
“It is working,” he said. “But without funding, it doesn’t go anywhere.”
He said many offenders continue to cycle through the system because treatment programs envisioned under Proposition 36 are not fully available.
Cooper also took aim at California’s mental health diversion program, which allows eligible defendants to receive treatment instead of traditional criminal penalties. He warned that legislation expanding diversion to include additional theft offenses would undermine Proposition 36 by allowing repeat offenders to avoid accountability.
“It would water it down,” Cooper said, adding that some lawmakers “don’t want anybody held accountable.”
Although Newsom recently signed legislation tightening eligibility for mental health diversion, Cooper argued the changes do not go far enough. He said offenders accused of crimes such as felony child abuse or sexually violent offenses should never qualify.
The sheriff also criticized California’s treatment of domestic violence under state law, noting it is not classified as a violent felony in many cases despite the severity of the crimes.
He recalled investigating cases in which one man allegedly beat his former wife for three days until she lost consciousness and another gouged out his partner’s eyes.
“Domestic violence goes on every day,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. It happens in every neighborhood. We have to treat it seriously.”
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Asked why lawmakers have resisted making domestic violence a violent felony, Cooper dismissed the rationale.
“They have no argument,” he said. “They just vote against it.”
Cooper’s comments come as lawmakers enter the final weeks of this year’s legislative session and as Newsom continues to defend California’s public safety record. The governor has pointed to declining violent crime, including a homicide rate that recently fell to its lowest level in nearly six decades. Cooper acknowledged the improvement but argued that the statistics do not capture the larger concerns many Californians continue to have about crime, repeat offenders, and support for victims.