"Right now [mail theft] is only a federal crime and typically the Post Office is responsible for prosecuting," said Frommer, who was himself the victim of a credit card fraud in March that racked up $1,400 in bogus charges. "But they're so overwhelmed sometimes that they're not going to have the resources to help someone who's got a rather small case. This will help our local law enforcement … actually file a case and charge them under state law."
The bill would, if passed and signed by the governor, also make a person found in possession of stolen documents with sensitive financial information to be eligible for a felony or a misdemeanor charge, as opposed to the infraction penalty the offense currently carries, Frommer said.
The last component of Frommer's proposed legislation would make it easier for victims of identity theft to have their cases tried locally rather than having to travel to places where fraudulent transactions have been committed, he said.
"Typically people spend hundreds of hours trying to clear their names, get their credit back in order, or get their money back," he said "Having to go testify or deal with law enforcement in another city, maybe in another part of the state, can be time-consuming and quite a hardship. We're trying to give the victims some relief."
Representatives from the Glendale Police Department and the United States Secret Service were also on hand at the event, providing information about the different types of identity theft and what people can do to protect themselves in an age where improving technology gives criminal more avenues in which to commit their crimes.
