Posted: | January 9, 2015 04:13 PM |
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From: | Representative Mike Regan |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Committing Robbery while concealing your Identity |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation which would call upon the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to increase the sentencing range for a person who commits a robbery while concealing or attempting to conceal all or part of his face during a robbery under Crimes Code Section 3701. Advances in technology have decreased the cost of installing video cameras & recording equipment to serve as surveillance in homes, businesses & public places. Video surveillance has proven to be invaluable as a deterrent to committing a robbery and in identifying a suspect if one occurs. Knowing the likelihood of surveillance cameras, criminals today often try to avoid identification and thwart the investigation by wearing a mask or disguise or otherwise by covering their facial features before, during or after the crime. Not only does this make it much more difficult to bring the offender to justice, but frequently adds to the trauma a victim suffers when a demand for cash or other valuables is made by a masked bandit. For these reasons, I believe there should be additional consequences for someone committing a robbery who, at the same time, conceals or attempts to conceal all or part of his face in order to hide his identity. I invite you to join me in addressing this problem by agreeing to co-sponsor the bill. |
Introduced as HB217