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A measure by Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee), to deter and punish “Porch Pirates,” was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
Jones’s Senate Bill 358 would allow judges to impose up to a year in jail on persons who steal packages from another person’s home, business, or along the delivery route. Specifically, SB 358 will equate packages and mail delivered by private carriers with those delivered by the United States Postal Service.
“The increase in Californians ordering more food, medicine, and other products for home delivery has unfortunately been accompanied with a rise in thefts of those items,” said Senator Brian Jones. “So-called ‘Porch Pirates’ often follow delivery trucks throughout a neighborhood and commit multiple thefts in the same day. Allowing judges to impose up to a year, rather than just 6 months, in jail should be an effective deterrent.”
SB 358 is supported by the California State Sheriffs Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, and the Southwest California Legislative Counsel. It goes next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration.