U.S. consumers spent billions online this Cyber Monday — and a new proposal aims to ensure those packages make it into shoppers’ hands.
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday announced the bipartisan “Porch Pirates Act," which he says would close loopholes in prosecuting package theft.
Currently, it's a federal crime to interfere with mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Gottheimer's legislation would apply the same punishment for packages delivered by private carriers, including Amazon, FedEx and UPS.
The bill would also increase penalties and time behind bars for package thieves and allow federal agencies, such as the Justice Department and FBI, to coordinate with local law enforcement on the issue.
“There's literally a Grinch that tears through neighborhoods stealing away Christmas presents,” Gottheimer told Gothamist on Monday. “He doesn't just do it on Christmas, but he's doing it all year round.”
Nearly half of all Americans report they've had a package stolen — with more than 100 million deliveries snatched over the past 12 months, according to Safewise, a home safety research group. According to Gottheimer, more than 190,000 people in New Jersey had a parcel stolen from them during a three-month period last year.
Package theft appears to be on the decline overall — down 13% from 2023, according to Safewise — but still costs billions of dollars each year. Gottheimer noted at a Monday press conference that the cost of the average package stolen in New Jersey is up to 87% higher than in other states.
About a quarter of Americans say a retailer hasn’t refunded them when their package has been stolen. Gottheimer said he hopes the Porch Pirates Act will help hold retailers accountable.
“It's not just gifts on Christmas [that are being stolen], it's also people's prescription drugs,” he said. “ This is really hurting a lot of people.”
