Tougher laws proposed to crack down on porch pirates
By: Megan Burrow
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... This Black Friday set a new Online shopping recorded, with more than $11.8 billion in sales. As those packages are delivered, officials are warning consumers to protect themselves form theft, as criminals look to capitalize on the holiday shopping season.
.....
So-called "porch Pirates" cost American shoppers an estimated $15 billion in the past year, [2024] with more than 104 million packages stolen across the country, according to SafeWise, which release an annual report on package theft trends.
..... A new proposal by Representative Josh Gottheimer aims to discourage such thefts by closing loopholes in the law and stiffening penalties.
..... On December, [2025]
the congressman announced the bipartisan "Porch Pirates Act," which would make staling packages a federal crime and increase punishments for those convicted of "porch piracy."
..... "There's literally a Grinch that tears through neighborhoods stealing away Christmas presents," Gottheimer said in Ridgewood. [NJ] "We can't let the holidays be snatched away form us in broad daylight by a bunch of porch pirates."
..... To prevent package theft, shoppers should have packages delivered to a secure location, such as Amazon lockers or UPS access points, track packages so they know exactly when they arrive, and request signature confirmation or schedule deliveries for times they'll be home, according to the Hackensack [NJ] Police Department.
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Other tips to avoid being the victims of such crimes include installing a doorbell camera, making sure entryways are brightly lit and asking neighbors to pick up packages if you'll be away, police said.
..... "Porch pirates thrive on opportunity, and I'm asking our residents to help take that opportunity away, especially during the delivery season," Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton said. "Stay vigilant, sue secure delivery options, and report any suspicious activity to keep our community safe."
..... Stealing mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service is a federal crime Gottheimer's legislation would apply the same federal penalties, including fines and imprisonment of up to three, five or 10 years, depending on value method and circumstances of the theft for packages delivered by private carriers, like Amazon, FedEX and UPS.
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The bill would also give the FBI, Justice Department and federal task forces full authority to investigate any porch-piracy theft of a private carrier package and extend interest protection for packages to the final delivery point, rather than just protection them while in transit.
..... "This is the time of year, obviously, where we get a lot more packages and we see a large uptick in things being stolen," said Forest "Cenzo" Lyons, Ridgewood's [NJ] police chief. "this legislation will help provide some relief for people when things get stolen."
..... According to SafeWise, package thefts overall have declined 13% since 2023, the first time theft have gone down since the research group began tracking them.
..... But porch pirates cost Americans over $15 billion in the past year and more than 190,000 people in New Jersey have had a package stolen from them during a recent three-month period, Gottheimer said.
..... He is also asking retailers to examine why about a quarter of package theft victims do not get a refund.
..... When it comes to theft, we can't just leave families paying the price," he said. "They are already struggling to pay for child care, food, and utility bills."