JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) - As package thefts have been abundant in Missouri throughout the last year, state lawmakers are working to crack down on porch pirates.
The Missouri House passed a bill to make the first offense of mail theft a misdemeanor and any repeat offenders would be facing a felony. According to the bill's sponsor, Rep. Adam Schwadron of St. Charles, 43% of people in the state say they had a package stolen of their front porch in 2020, according to a recent survey.
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"It’s just ensuring clarity and consistency in the application of the law, so that way law enforcement entities can prosecute people as necessary for violating our personal property that is being delivered to us," Schwadron said on the House floor Monday.
House Bill 825 would include stolen letters, postcards, packages, bags, or other sealed articles as grounds for stronger punishments.
It also includes language that would allow personal delivery devices, like robots and drones, to navitage along sidewalks, crosswalks, and roads as long as the device does not interfere with vehicles, traffic, or block a public right-of-way.
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The bill heads to Missouri Senate next.
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