Package Theft Victims In Colorado Could Get Tax Credit Under New Bill

Coloradans who had their packages stolen by thieves could get a nice perk under a new bill, according to Canon City Daily Record.

State Rep. Alex Valdez says he has been a repeat victim of porch pirates and now wants to help state residents facing the same issues. His proposed bill, HB22-1030, would allow people to write up to $75 off their taxes and go toward any "device that allows a package to be delivered within a locked area or a locked and secure delivery box." \

In order to be eligible, Valdez says you would have to prove you were a victim of package theft with a filed police report. As for his reasoning, the Denver lawmaker says "we need data on where incidences of package theft are high."

"This is early in the process," Valdez added. "Could (terms of eligibility) be changed? Probably... We definitely don’t want folks claiming a credit if it’s not something actually affecting their area."

The legislator also claims he's gotten plenty of complaints about porch piracy from his constituents. Denver has been recognized as a city hard hit by rampant package theft, according to a 2021 study by SafeWise. Researchers looked at "2020 FBI larceny-theft data from metro areas across the US. Then, we compare it to Google Trends data in areas with the highest number of searches for 'missing package' and 'stolen package,'" according to the website.

Valdez says the bill is aimed at preventing package theft rather than more arrests or incarceration. HB22-1030 was among the first bills filed in the 2022 legislative session, reporters say.