Accused package thieves in Texas would be prosecuted the same as home burglars if two Texas lawmakers get their wish.
Two state representatives both authored bills in the house and senate that would make package theft at least a state jail felony in Texas.
According to the filing, theft of 10 or fewer pieces of mail would be a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Theft of more than 10 and less than 50 would be a third-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. And theft of 50 or more would be a second-degree felony with a 20-year maximum prison sentence.
Right now, the punishment level for any theft depends on the value of the stolen property. Theft of property worth fewer than $2,500 is treated as a misdemeanor, while anything greater is a felony, according to the Texas Penal Code.
A recent Houston Chronicle article showed that unfortunately, many Houston residents are familiar with such thefts. Local police say package thefts have increased in the city by 80 percent since 2015 when HPD started tracking the crime.
About 20 out of every 1,000 homes in Houston were targets of package theft, making the city No. 7 in the nation for such crimes, according to a certain home security research firm.
Police say the crimes increase over the holidays. If passed, the bills would go into effect September 2019.
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