Larceny and certain property crimes; penalties.

Larceny and certain property crimes; penalties. Decreasesfrom $1,000 to $500 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods orchattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. Thebill decreases the threshold by the same amount for the classification ofcertain property crimes. The bill also provides that a person convicted ofpetit larceny, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor, shall be subjectto a mandatory minimum term of confinement of 10 days in jail if the larcenywas of a package delivered to a residence.The bill also makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to commitlarceny of a catalytic converter from a motor vehicle, regardless of theconverter's value. The bill makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to willfullybreak, injure, tamper with, or remove any part or parts of any vehicle,aircraft, boat, or vessel for the purpose of injuring, defacing, or destroyingsaid vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel, or temporarily or permanentlypreventing its useful operation, or for any purpose against the will or withoutthe consent of the owner, or to in any other manner willfully or maliciouslyinterfere with or prevent the running or operation of such vehicle, aircraft,boat, or vessel, when such violation causes damage to such vehicle, aircraft,boat, or vessel of $500 or more. Current law makes such violation a Class 1misdemeanor with no limit on the amount of damage. Under the bill, the penaltyfor damage of less than $500 remains a Class 1 misdemeanor.