Porch Pirates Could Face Jail Time

According to the Lansing State Journal, a new state law targeting porch pirates took effect this week, meaning it will be easier to prosecute thieves who raid mailboxes or steal packages from doorsteps.

No one should ever have to put up with anyone stealing their gifts from their own house or their mailbox.

Senate Bills 23 and 24, signed by governor Whitmer last fall, make it a state level crime to steal mail or packages delivered to homes.

A first offense for mail theft is now a state court misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. A repeat offense is a maximum 5 year felony.

Mail theft was already a federal crime, but backers said a state law was needed because federal authorities don't have the resources to investigate every mail theft complaint.

The enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service reported more than 1,350 cases involving mail theft in fiscal 2018.

Perhaps this will keep Porch Pirates from stealing mail and packages that don't belong to them in the first place. Beware PORCH PIRATES!