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How many door-to-door salesmen are going to be shot because some redneck homeowner thought his package was going to be stolen (even though it may not have been delivered yet)? You can use deadly force to prevent a felony in Texas (if you have a reasonable fear of bodily harm) that occurs on your property (which includes the vicinage, the front porch and lawn).
How many delivery drivers? "He had the package in his hands, officer!" Sure, make everything a felony. Then we'll all be felons together.
I don't agree that it covers that. USPS never dropped packages, unsupervised, on porches. It's only very recent, and the law hasn't changed to cover that. Used to be, if the package didn't fit in your mailbox the postman might have tried to hand deliver it, or failing that, would put a note in your mailbox that a package was waiting for you at the post office. It was never just left, unsupervised, on your porch. USPS theft laws didn't predict that would happen, and don't cover that scenario.
The bigger picture of this thread I started, I don't want the theft of a "package" on a doorstep to automatically be a felony. That's craziness.
Really. Can you imagine. The theft of a "package" left on a doorstep being a felony. That would cover a soccer ball that was left behind at soccer practice that the coach put in a grocery sack and left on the player's front porch. Some other kid happens onto the porch, sees the soccer ball and takes it.
Do you really want that to be a felony? Speaking only for myself, I don't. And that's the way this law is loosely written.
What about theft of 20 packages per day? Many of these porch pirates steal for a living. As someone else posted, they have video of some running behind a uhaul loading up stuff from everyone's porches and yards.
Should these people really get a slap on the hand because no single package was worth enough to make it grand theft? Or should LEO be able to add up the value of those 20 pkg per day and use that value to establish whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony?
Something has to be done to curb this activity. It has become a real problem to consumers, retailers, and shipping companies.
Personally I think labor camps need to make a return. These people are stealing because they don't want to work for a living. Okay, so make them work hard labor for a month while earning 10 cents a day. Then we'll see if they decide working at 7-11 suits them a little better.
Last edited by LillyLillyLilly; 06-22-2019 at 10:54 AM..
It could also be a package delivery service, PICKING UP a package too.
But if I put a package out for pickup, I'm expecting someone to come onto my porch and take it. And most package delivery service personnel who'd be stopping by to pick up the package are going to be wearing a company uniform and driving a company truck. They're not likely to be mistaken for a porch pirate.
What about theft of 20 packages per day? Many of these porch pirates steal for a living. As someone else posted, they have video of some running behind a uhaul loading up stuff from everyone's porches and yards.
Should these people really get a slap on the hand because no single package was worth enough to make it grand theft? Or should LEO be able to add up the value of those 20 pkg per day and use that value to establish whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony?
I think some of the critics are forgetting that ultimately the DA has the authority to decide which cases to prosecute. He's free to decline to press charges against the stupid 18 year old kid who's only been caught nabbing one package, and whose record is otherwise clean, while pressing the felony charges against the organized thieves stealing dozens of packages.
The strange thing about it imo, when you pick a random house and go steal a package from their porch or patio, you have NO idea what you are stealing!!! It could be a doll for a little girl or toys for a toddler LOL (what is a thief going to do with those?!)
Ever heard of ebay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rstevens62
The chances you are going to get something valuable, that can be quickly resold and turned into cash...is a really far longshot, even with medications...whats the chances its going to the type of medications a thief would want (like opioids narcotics, etc), chances are better its blood pressure meds or ostomy supplies!!
Imo, this is related to the drug problem, addicts hoping to find something valuable, they can turn into cash, so they can buy more dope (same day).
There is just no way professional thieves would waste their time stealing something, when they dont even know for sure what it is!
More and more "normal" people are doing this. The ones I've seen caught on security video do not look like your typical addict. They have nice cars and clean clothes and decent haircuts. One I saw, the man waited in their late model car while the woman ran to the door. This woman slipped and fell running away and hurt her knee. He carried her back to the car, leaving the package behind. They got caught because he took her to the emergency room to fix the knee. The impression I have of druggies is that they would wrap the knee and hide out getting high to ease the pain for a few days, then return to stealing stuff. They wouldn't even consider a hospital.
These porch thieves take the packages home to their 3 br 2 car garage houses to store them until someone on ebay buys the product.
You're right, druggies wouldn't normally have the patience to sell smaller items that might take a month to get the money. IMO these are regular people stealing for a living from what I've seen.
I really don't understand this. A felony is an egregious act, that comes with very serious consequences.
Package theft of items that sometimes are virtually worthless does NOT rise to the level of a felony. We are blurring the lines between petty crimes, and serious ones that need to be dealt with seriously.
Really? I order a book from Amazon for 15 bucks, and if someone takes it it's a FELONY punishable by up to 10 years in prison and 10,000 fine?
Interestingly, Amazon drivers are now sending pictures of items delivered to the door in TX. Not sure if this is an attempt at minimizing their liability, or if it's coordinated with this legislation, but it just started this week:
More and more "normal" people are doing this. The ones I've seen caught on security video do not look like your typical addict. They have nice cars and clean clothes and decent haircuts. One I saw, the man waited in their late model car while the woman ran to the door. This woman slipped and fell running away and hurt her knee. He carried her back to the car, leaving the package behind. They got caught because he took her to the emergency room to fix the knee. The impression I have of druggies is that they would wrap the knee and hide out getting high to ease the pain for a few days, then return to stealing stuff. They wouldn't even consider a hospital.
These porch thieves take the packages home to their 3 br 2 car garage houses to store them until someone on ebay buys the product.
You're right, druggies wouldn't normally have the patience to sell smaller items that might take a month to get the money. IMO these are regular people stealing for a living from what I've seen.
I would think professionals would be smarter than to sell stolen goods online though. Ive seen numerous local theft cases where they catch the guy pretty quickly and easily, because he posted the stolen items up for sale online.
Thats almost as foolish as taking stolen items to a legitimate pawn shop.
I would think professionals would be smarter than to sell stolen goods online though. Ive seen numerous local theft cases where they catch the guy pretty quickly and easily, because he posted the stolen items up for sale online.
Thats almost as foolish as taking stolen items to a legitimate pawn shop.
That may be true for local Craigslist and Facebook Buy & Sell pages, but a lot of them put the stuff up on eBay.
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