Jan 21, 2024 By Jon Andreassi 3 min read

A law making it possible for porch pirates to be charged with a felony for repeat offenses is due to take effect next month; however, local law enforcement gets few reports of these cases.

Porch pirates – thieves who swipe packages from your doorstep – have been an issue as Americans turn to the internet for much of their shopping. On Dec. 14, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 527, which targets this specific type of theft.

“This bill focuses on repeat offenders by using a grading system that would increase the penalties if the thief had prior convictions for theft of mail,” said state Sen. Frank Farry (R-6), the bill’s sponsor, in a statement when Shapiro signed the bill.

Previously, the crime would be graded based on the value of the item stolen. For an item less than $200, the offender would get a citation.

When the law takes effect on Feb. 12, the culprit can be charged with a third-degree felony if it is their third offense for stealing mail.

“We definitely have it, but it’s not like a major issue,” said Detective Dan Eberman of the Washington Police Department.

That also appears to be the case in other Washington County municipalities.

In Canonsburg, police Chief Alex Coghill says reports of package thieves have been practically nonexistent.

“We haven’t had any, as far as I can recall. If we had any, there have been very few. Maybe it’s just our geography, with the houses so close together. We don’t seem to get the problem like a lot of other places get it,” Coghill said.

It may be more common in neighboring North Strabane Township, but not by much.

“It happens. It’s not as frequent as it is in other areas, but we do get some. The majority occur around the holiday season when there are more packages being delivered. It’s not too big of a problem for us,” said Capt. Matthew Mancini of North Strabane police.

The situation is similar in Fayette County, according to Kalee Barnhart, a public information officer with state police.

“These porch pirates are not very common in Fayette County. They happen sporadically,” Barnhart said.

Uniontown police Public Information Officer Tom Kolencik said that an increase in home surveillance systems keeps pirates at bay.

“Everyone has Ring door cameras now, and surveillance on their homes. It seems like more and more, everyone is looking out for one another. It’s a problem, but not a big problem in our city,” Kolencik said.

If you want to practice caution with your packages, Barnhart suggests requiring a signature upon delivery.

“Also, you can redirect the delivery to a post office. Amazon will let you edit where you want it dropped off. You can ask them to drop it off at the rear of the house. Do not let the boxes stack up or sit outside your house for multiple days,” Barnhart said.