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State Sen. April Weaver, R-Brierfield, announced on Wednesday she will once again sponsor legislation in the 2025 regular session which would make stealing deliveries from the homes of Alabamians, a practice commonly known as “porch piracy,” a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“Video doorbells and other affordable home security devices have helped fight crime, but a simple Google news or YouTube search of the term ‘porch pirates’ reveals thefts at Christmas remain a serious, ongoing, and growing problem,” Weaver said. “The Grinches among us are still trying to steal Christmas, but perhaps a 20-year prison sentence in Alabama will give their hearts plenty of time to grow three sizes.”
If Weaver’s bill is enacted, Alabama would become the twelfth state in the nation to approve a legislative measure specifically targeting the porch piracy practice. States already taking action include Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.
The legislation specifically adds “any item mailed or shipped to another person” to those that fall under Alabama’s existing theft of property statute and sets out a specific range of penalties based upon the value of the packages that are stolen.
Theft of packages with a value exceeding $2,500 would result in a charge of Theft of Property First Degree, which is a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years of incarceration.
Theft of packages with a value between $1,500 and $2,500 would result in a charge of Theft of Property Second Degree, which is a Class C felony punishable by to one to 10 years of incarceration.
Theft of packages with a value between $500 and $1,499 would result in a charge of Theft of Property Third Degree, which is a Class D felony punishable by to one to five years of incarceration.
Theft of packages with a value up to $500 would result in a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of incarceration.
A nationwide study commissioned in September by the ValuePenguin personal finance website indicated that roughly 41 percent of Americans have been the victims of porch piracy, and about 25 percent report they have had a package stolen within the past year.
More than a quarter of victims – 27 percent – said they have had three or more packages stolen, and about 63 percent say the packages taken originated from Amazon or Walmart. About 16 percent of items stolen from doorways and porches were meal and grocery deliveries.
The 2025 Legislative Session is scheduled to convene on Feb. 4.
