Man who fled crime-ridden California for Alabama's law and order: 'It's nuts out there'

Known by some as the People’s Republic of California, the Golden State continues to experience a mass exodus of residents fleeing lawlessness for safer communities.

Plagued by crime and homelessness, California is losing talent in droves in favor of refuge provided by conservative-led states such as Alabama.

A recent example of this was the case of Derek Thoms, who recently moved to the Muscle Shoals area after tiring of the disorder that has afflicted the nation’s most progressive state.

After his San Francisco Bay area laundromat was burglarized, Thoms, who has family ties to Muscle Shoals and Mobile, decided it was time to move his family and business to a state that upheld the rule of law.

Thoms is revamping a laundromat called Roll Tide Laundry at 2804 North Jackson Highway in Sheffield.

In a Wednesday discussion with Yellowhammer News, Thoms further detailed why he chose to take up residency in Alabama.

“Obviously, the rules out here (in Alabama) are much more strict,” he said. “You know, coming from a place where you could basically do anything and not get in trouble.”

Thoms said the two thieves who burglarized his laundromat in the early hours of the morning were seen fleeing the scene by police. The law enforcement officers, Thoms said, failed to pursue the alleged bandits.

“They just let them go!” he lamented. According to Thoms, Alabama law enforcement would have “gone after those people.”

A former 12-year law enforcement officer himself, Thoms expressed frustration over progressive measures that, in his view, prevent police from performing their jobs.

“We were relentless on people. … They would pull over for us,” said Thoms, before asserting the respect held by law enforcement was no longer.

“Out there, they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t,” he said of California police. “If they don’t do anything, people go, ‘Why the [expletive] didn’t you do anything?’ If they do something and somebody gets injured, they’ll say, ‘Why didn’t you just let them go? It’s just a property crime!’”

The business owner recalled another incident which saw an individual, who Thoms said he “beat the piss out of,” attempt to steal a vehicle from his house. Thoms told Yellowhammer News that the man who attempted to flee with his vehicle only spent two days in jail before being released.

“It’s nuts out there. You can basically do anything you want,” he said. “That wouldn’t happen here.”

Regarding California’s liberal tort laws, Thoms advised that what one must “watch for in California is your pocket book for when you get sued.”

Thoms noted that his father was in court over a lawsuit by a woman who is seeking $15,000 in damages over a claim that a washer front fell on her toes.

“People are soft out there. People (in Alabama) aren’t soft like that — they’re hard workers,” said Thoms. “It seems like most people here just want to live their lives and not just go around suing everyone. … It’s just hard to run businesses (in California) because of that.”

According to Thoms, an additional issue California business owners and residents contend with is bureaucratic red tape. In Alabama, he said, “everything’s easier.”

“You wanna do an addition on your house, you’re gonna pay over $30,000 in just fees, right? You’re gonna wait over a year to get a permit,” he added. “Here in Alabama, you wanna add on, it’s like a $75 permit, and you get your permit that day to add on to your house. Everything’s easier.”

Thoms concluded by saying that it was a “waste of time” when he went to the ballot box in California, noting the overwhelming liberal population that resides in the state.

When asked if he ever voted for California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who is seen by many to be a leading contender for the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential ticket, Thoms replied, “Hell no.”

Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL