On Monday, the Oklahoma Senate took a major step to enhance public safety by passing two significant pieces of legislation introduced by Bartlesville Republican Senator Julie Daniels aimed at strengthening protections for businesses and their employees by making it easier to prosecute repeat offenders and career criminals. 

 SB 1877 aims to take repeat offenders and career criminals off the street by extending the aggregation period for the valuation of stolen items from 90 to 180 days. This will give law enforcement and prosecutors a more accurate assessment of the patterns of repeat offenders and allow them the time needed to build the strongest case possible to hold career criminals accountable. The longer aggregation period also sends a strong signal to potential criminals, helping to deter future crime.  

Simultaneously, SB 1735 protects businesses and their employees against violence accompanying forcible entry into restricted and employee-only areas of commercial buildings. This legislation acknowledges the vulnerability that store employees often face. On the front lines of this increase in violent crimes are cashiers, especially those that work in retail, grocery stores and convenience stores where alcohol and tobacco products are often stored behind the register. 

These critical bills have garnered the support of key statewide organizations, including the Public Safety Alliance of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, and the Oklahoma Grocers Association.