The Kansas Senate is considering a bill to toughen penalties for burglary. It would increase sentences for breaking into a home and toughen penalties if the intent is to steal a firearm. KPR’s Stephen Koranda was at a hearing where senators heard from supporters of the bill.
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Patrick Sweet lives in Westport. His house was burglarized last year. He was left with a broken window and psychological effects.
“At night when you hear those weird creaks of the house, you stop and think 'is this somebody tapping on the window?'” says Sweet.
Prosecutors told legislators that burglary often results in probation, and other crimes carry harsher sentences. Chris Scott is with the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office
“Sometimes I joke when we have these burglary cases and they’re getting probation- I wish they would have had a little meth in their pocket when they were caught after committing the burglary because we may have actually gotten some decent time,” says Scott.
No one spoke against the bill. Lawmakers will seek out information on how the change would impact the prison population.