Porch pirate theft now a felony in certain cases in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In Pennsylvania, stealing packages from someone's front door could now officially be considered a felony offense.
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 527, which expands penalties for porch pirates, during last year's legislative session. The law was signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro back in December and officially went into effect on Monday.
The new law creates stiffer penalties for repeat offenders and people who steal higher-value packages.
Mama Zee Morrissey ships imported sea shells and small starter plants to customers as co-owner of The Jade Forest in South Philadelphia.
However, her daughter and business partner, Kacey, said they deliver bigger pieces personally.
"There's a chance for people to steal it off people's front steps, and some of our bigger pieces we will deliver locally just for those reasons," Kacey said.
According to SB 527, porch piracy is considered a third-degree felony if the value of the stolen items exceeds $2,000, or the accused thief has two or more prior convictions for mail theft.
Penalties include up to seven years in prison if convicted.
"Anything that we can do to help deter theft, is a welcomed, achieved milestone," said Lansdale Borough Police Chief Michael Trail.
The department welcomed holiday deliveries in Operation Package Protector. He said the new law could bring stiffer penalties.
"The statute provides -- in certain instances -- those being a third offense or valued in excess of $2,000, that individuals be charged with a felony," Chief Trail said.
He said the law also cracks down on how some porch pirates find packages.
"Let's say for example, they're following around an Amazon truck and going from location to location," Chief Trail said, "That common scheme and design and practice, that could lead to higher charges, perhaps even felonies."
Back at The Jade Forest, Kacey was not optimistic the new law will stop porch pirates.
"I think trying to catch people who are doing it -- to actually say this is a person who took over this amount of money in items -- is going to be really hard to prove," she said.
However, Chief Trail was hopeful that the new law will help keep shipments on porches waiting for customers instead of in the hands of porch pirates.
"We are going to actually have people charged with the statute, successfully convicted, and then determine from there what the deterrence is," he said.
The porch pirate legislation was one of many new laws that went into effect in 2024. In Pennsylvania, the legislature passed automatic voter registration, changes to dog licensing regulations and updated school bus safety rules.
To deter porch pirates from targeting your home, police recommend installing a security camera outside the front door, rescheduling deliveries if you're not going to be home, or using a tracking service to get notifications when your packages are scheduled to arrive.