Mail stealing could be state offense

The Brillion News

MADISON - Representatives Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, and Jason Fields, D-Milwaukee, praised the Assembly’s passage of Assembly Bill 734 on Wednesday.

“I want to thank the Assembly for their overwhelming bipartisan support for this important bill,” said Hutton. “This bill provides important protections for our most vulnerable citizens. It also provides law enforcement the tools they need to be able to arrest and charge these criminals who are terrorizing our neighborhoods."

The legislation moves on to the state Senate.

“This legislation addresses the growing issue of ‘porch pirates’ who brazenly steal other people’s mail and packages,” Fields said.

AB 734 will create a crime of "theft of mail" that would carry a charge of a class A misdemeanor for someone stealing less than 10 pieces of mail, a class I felony for someone stealing between 10 and 30 pieces of mail, and a Class H felony for someone stealing over 30 pieces of mail or if the mail belongs to an adult at risk or an elder adult at risk.