New law in New Jersey targets "porch pirates" who snatch packages from outside homes
EDISON, N.J. -- Many of us have been victim of thieves swiping packages delivered our homes, and with Christmas around the corner, police say the crime dubbed "porch piracy" is on the rise.
It's so bad New Jersey has a new law targeting these porch crooks.
You've seen the doorbell camera videos showing porch pirates snatching packages from the front doors of homes.
It happened to Andre Restrepo; a crook stole expensive sneakers left outside his home.
"Right now, it's hard-earned money and I feel like it's disrespectful. And at the end of the day, we pay for the service, for it to be sent here. Shipping isn't always free," he said.
More than 5 million Americans were victimized just this past year.
Most states treats porch piracy as a pickpocketing offense. A new law in New Jersey, though, makes it a serious crime. If convicted, a porch pirate can face up to five years in prison.
"It's a criminal offense. Before, since it was outside of your house, it really wasn't like robbing something inside your house. Now it's exactly the same. It's like breaking into somebody's home," Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak said.
Edison's police chief says his department's seeing a lot more of these crimes.
"Number one advice is to partner up with a neighbor," Chief Thomas Bryan said. "So if you're not gonna be home, maybe there's a neighbor that's home and can take your packages in and you can kind of work together on that."
Another way to protect your packages from being stolen is make it obvious you have a security system at your house. Studies show thieves are less likely to target a house with a camera.
"You would be surprised that the camera system, the Ring cameras, they catch the cars out there, they catch the plates, the whole bit, and our detective bureau actually has, like, a 78 percent close-out rate of actually catching people that do this," Bryan said.
You can also have companies send email alerts to you once your package is delivered.
Jennifer Angeles, owner of CLO Coffee Company, says it's something she wishes she had done.
"We were expecting an important part for our plumbing and it was important for us to have it," she said.
Only a half a dozen states have strict laws targeting porch bandits, and postal inspectors say stealing U.S. Post Office packages is a felony.
Knowing your rights and following a few tips can prevent a thief from stealing your holiday joy.
