A quick call from an Oregon owner leads the police to a suspected pirate on the porch
Beaverton police said Wayne Leach, of Gladstone, 36, was arrested shortly after police responded to a call from an owner. (Credit: Beaverton Police Department via Storyful)
A South Carolina state representative hopes to put a new law into effect that could punish “balcony pirates” with up to 15 years in prison.
Congressman Cezar McKnight introduced a bill in January, which is a simplified version of his original bill, presented in 2019.
The 2019 bill, known as the Defense Against Porch Pirates Act, could give a person found guilty of the crime a minimum sentence of five years without parole or parole. But some lawmakers have found the sentencing parameters somewhat stringent, according to McKnight.
ARCHIVE – An Amazon Prime package is seen on a balcony in this photo illustration on Amazon Prime Day, July 16, 2019, in Orlando, Florida.
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“A lawmaker seems to be soft on crime, but when someone comes up to me and asks me to make a deal, I can,” said McKnight.
The revised 2021 bill states that “anyone who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of the crime of package theft and, upon conviction, should be fined up to $ 5,000.”
McKnight noted that the sentence for a perpetrator can be from 0 to 15 years.
“They asked, ‘what if you were homeless?’ That shouldn’t matter, “said McKnight.” Are you concerned about protecting the perpetrator? What if it was your grandmother’s medicine that was being delivered? “
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The current piracy bill was suspended during a subcommittee debate, but McKnight believes it is something that most people can defend. He expects his account to reach the floor in April, if everything goes according to plan.
McKnight said he believes a resident should feel confident that all the packages they have delivered to their home will still be there if the owner cannot immediately bring them inside. Anyone willing to violate boundaries and walk to someone’s home and take whatever they want should suffer the consequences, according to McKnight.
“People need to feel safe in their homes,” emphasized McKnight. “Home is more than just the limits of your home. It’s all around you.”
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And while McKnight said he was never a victim of this type of crime, he understands that the community needs protection.
“Nobody ever stole from me, but that’s because I can have my packages delivered to my law firm,” said McKnight. “But most people don’t have that luxury, so they need to have at least a little confidence that what they buy online or elsewhere, can be safely shipped to their homes.”
As online shopping becomes the dominant source for consumers to conveniently receive their products in their homes, balcony piracy has increased.
Some other states have already specifically banned theft of porch packages with their own punishments. In Texas, it is a crime with a maximum of 10 years in prison if someone steals from more than 30 addresses. Oklahoma, Michigan and California have laws that consider the first offense to be a misdemeanor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.