Crime in the state is decreasing, yet doing more to deter shoplifters and “porch pirates” will improve quality of life for Floridians, the governor says.
As businesses across the country flee from areas where rampant theft makes operating difficult, Florida is making changes aimed at preventing theft in the state.
Standing at a lectern in a Walgreens pharmacy in Stuart, Florida on April 9, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 549 into law. Sent to him from the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, the new law increases penalties for retail theft and for stealing just-delivered packages from homes, a crime known as “porch piracy.”
The governor bemoaned the fact that theft forces retailers to raise prices and lock down items, passing along higher costs and more inconvenience to law-abiding shoppers and decreased profits for businesses.
He pointed out how theft is rising in locations such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington.
“You go in and you want to buy toothpaste and it’s like Fort Knox because it’s all under lock and key,” he said.
Meanwhile, shoplifting in Florida has dropped by 30 percent since he took office, he said. He gave examples of legislation elsewhere that allows criminals to steal up to $999 in merchandise