TRENTON — Legislation to crack down on “porch pirate” crimes and stiffen penalties for package deal theft has been signed into regulation by Gov. Phil Murphy.
Theft of a delivered package deal is now a third-degree crime statewide, punishable by 3 to five years in jail and/or a positive of as much as $15,000.
The crime beforehand was handled as a misdemeanor as a majority of stolen packages have been valued at lower than $500, in line with one of many measure’s sponsors, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, D-Middlesex.
“Bundle theft is a rising downside for on-line shoppers,” Karabinchak mentioned in a written launch. “As the recognition of on-line buying has elevated, sadly, so has the act of stealing these deliveries from properties earlier than residents retrieve them.”
“Bundle supply is less complicated for a lot of seniors and disabled residents who’re unable to go away dwelling to simply run to the shop or the pharmacy,” Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, mentioned in the identical joint assertion.
“Having their packages stolen from their entrance step may imply ready a very long time for medication they depend on.”
Roughly 14% of People in a latest survey by Finder mentioned they have been victims of package deal theft inside the previous 12 months.
That equals about 35.5 million People, coping with a mean worth of $157 reported stolen in every.
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