HARRISBURG—Rep. Wendi Thomas (R-Bucks) will soon introduce legislation to crack down on home delivery theft.
“With the ongoing pandemic, online purchases have skyrocketed,” Thomas said.
Thomas is crafting the legislation with input from Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub. With the continuing COVID-19 health crisis, many packages are being left unattended on porches to avoid unnecessary interactions.
A 2019 report found that 36% of Americans who shop online have had a package stolen. Surveys done in 2021 found that Americans lost about $210 million to porch pirates.
“As we’ve come to depend on commerce by mail in this digital age, package theft is growing, and that’s creating a need for a law specifically aimed at ‘porch piracy’ to more accurately reflect our societal values and deter these thieves through increased criminal penalties,” Weintraub said.