Porch pirates could face felony charge if caught in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Those who have ever been the victim of package theft will be relieved to learn that something is being done to address this annoying issue, as there is now a law aimed at deterring and penalizing so-called “porch pirates.”

Thieves are so brazen that they don’t care if there are signs and cameras all around them during daylight hours, but hopefully they will now.

Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear joined other lawmakers at Brownsboro Hardware and Paint in Louisville for the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 23, which makes stealing packages from private carriers like Amazon, Fedex, and UPS off someone’s doorstep a felony.

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Packages were not previously afforded the same level of security as U.S. mail. The law provides officers with another tool to combat package theft rings.

“Kentuckians have been repeatedly victimized and targeted by porch pirate, with important deliveries being stolen like medicine,” Beshear said. “It’s not just individuals who commit this crime. More and more we are seeing organized groups of individuals who gather stolen packages and then resell them.”

Package theft was previously considered a misdemeanor and it was often never prosecuted. Offenders caught stealing someone else’s delivery risk up to five years in jail.

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