WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) reintroduced the bipartisan Porch Pirates Act in the 118th Congress. As online shopping increases, studies have shown that one in five Americans have been the victims of porch piracy on their own front doors, resulting in millions of dollars in stolen goods every year. The Porch Pirates Act seeks to combat this type of crime by applying the same federal penalties currently in place for the theft of United States Postal Service (USPS) mail to the theft of commercial packages from private carriers such as Amazon, FedEx, and UPS.
“Porch pirates target packages delivered by private carriers like UPS, Amazon, and FedEx because they know online shoppers have little recourse to recoup losses under current law,” said Rep. Phillips. “That’s why it’s time to make porch piracy a federal crime, just as it already is for USPS deliveries, and hold thieves accountable for their crimes.”
Recently, Phillips worked a shift at UPS delivering packages as part of his ongoing “On the Job” series with Minnesota businesses. Aboard the UPS truck, he learned more about what the everyday routine of a driver looks like and how his Porch Pirates Act can help keep packages safe on doorsteps.
Porch piracy is an increasingly dangerous crime as more Americans, especially our seniors, rely on delivery services for vital necessities such as medicine and groceries. American consumers lose hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars as victims of this crime – many with little recourse to recover their losses.
The current penalties for the theft of non-USPS mail are minimal. While some states have enacted stronger penalties for theft of non-USPS mail and packages, most have not – leaving the majority of Americans unprotected.
The Porch Pirates Act has earned broad bipartisan support in Congress. Reps. Colin Allred (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Bradley Schneider (D-IL), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Young Kim, (R-CA), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), William Timmons (R-SC), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) are original cosponsors.
“Americans shouldn’t have to worry whether their mail will arrive safely. Unfortunately, rising mail theft is a real problem in our communities,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The punishment for mail thieves shouldn’t depend on which carrier the stolen package came from. That’s why I worked with Rep. Dean Phillips to introduce the Porch Pirate Act, which would right this wrong and ensure mail thieves are held accountable no matter what package they steal.”
“Porch pirates plunder millions of packages each year, hurting Americans who rely on deliveries to get food, medicine, and other living essentials,” said Rep. Porter. “But if a pillaged package was delivered by a private carrier, it can be harder to get justice than for packages delivered by the Postal Service. The bipartisan Porch Pirates Act would set an equal standard for all deliveries, so prosecutors can better hold looters accountable for their lawbreaking.”
“Many Nevadans rely on home deliveries for essential goods, which is why it’s so important to address the rising threat of package theft,” said Rep. Horsford. “As online shopping becomes a daily necessity, we must protect our communities from porch piracy. The Porch Pirates Act will ensure that all package thefts, whether from USPS or private carriers, are met with the serious consequences they deserve.”