Assembly Bill 1210 - The Answer to "Porch Pirates?"

Mail theft has plagued Santa Clarita for a long time. It usually spikes around the holidays, when thieves know that a lot more money and gifts are being sent through the mail, but the crime doesn’t disappear when the holidays are over. It’s more or less impossible for police to do anything about it until the package thefts are reported, and even then, if nobody saw anything there isn’t much they can do about it.

In an effort to curb instances of package/mail theft, Assembly Bill 1210 was recently proposed by Assemblyman Devin Low, D-Campbell, that would greatly increase the potential penalty for those convicted of the crime. The bill would make it illegal for someone to approach a home or the immediate area of that home (the front yard, porch, driveway, etc.) with the intent of stealing packages. The crime would could be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony-level offense, with misdemeanor penalties including up to 1 year in county jail and felony charges including 16 months to 3 years in county jail.

If Assembly Bill 1210 passes, it could go a long way toward deterring would-be package thieves. Unfortunately, more brazen crooks will likely be undeterred, as one needs first be caught stealing packages to be convicted of the crime.

In recent years, security cameras outside the home have become a lot more popular – especially those that are nestled in the doorbell. The ability to catch an image of the person stealing packages makes it much easier for police to track them down. Without a picture or a witness who is able to provide enough identifying information about the thief, police have little to go on.

Even if the bill passes, it will be a while before anyone will be able to tell if it has had the intended effect. Until then, the best way to protect your packages is to make sure someone is there to receive them.

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Robin Sandoval

Robin Sandoval is a California Licensed Bail Bondsman and owner of SCV Bail Bonds. Robin writes blogs and articles to help increase community awareness of the bail industry. If you have questions or want to suggest a topic, email robin@scvbailbonds.com, visit www.scvbailbonds.com or call 661-299-2245.