The Community Alliance newspaper has been disappearing from some of its distribution sites apparently by individuals determined to prevent the community from accessing its content.
“One of our drivers was in the Tower [District] and saw a rough-looking man take a bundle of papers out of the rack by the kiosk across from the Tower Theatre,” noted Peter Maiden, the newspaper’s distribution manager.
“This has been going on for some time,” added Maiden, at various locations throughout the county.
In California, stealing newspapers, especially free or complimentary ones, is illegal under California Penal Code Section 490.7, which “focuses on the intent behind taking the newspapers. It’s not illegal to take a few copies for personal reading, but taking a large quantity with the intent to resell, recycle for profit or prevent others from reading them is a crime.”
Indeed, “stealing a newspaper is a crime and can potentially lead to fines or other penalties.”
Mike Rhodes, editor emeritus of the Community Alliance, helped to resolve the issue of stolen newsstands that kept going missing in front of the Fresno County Jail a few years ago. The Sheriff’s Office staff were the ones stealing the newsstands.
Regarding the stolen papers, Rhodes immediately reached out to the Fresno Police Department (FPD). Deputy Chief Mike Landon said that the FPD would help us stop these thefts if we could get a video of the crime and a license number of the vehicle driven by the perpetrator.
“We will give them a visit and make sure they understand what they are doing is a crime,” said Landon. A second offense could result in misdemeanor charges, which could include a fine and jail time .
“Please be on the lookout” for people illegally taking newspapers, says Rhodes. “Take a video! But don’t do anything that makes you feel unsafe.
“If we can identify the culprit, then we could ask the police to talk with them, and that would send the right message.”
Now more than ever, it is critical to push back on such attacks against free speech.
