Porch pirates

[Rye Miles #13621]

A local suburb here has a great idea to catch porch pirates!

 

https://fox8.com/news/were-watching-how-parma-police-are-working-to-deter-porch-pirates-this-season/

[Cypress Sun]

 

It is a good idea, but I don't know about deterrent. The bait package would have to be used in sufficient quantities to produce justifiable results.

 

I detest thieves of any type and I hate to say this, but I will...the funds/manhours spent on policing the bait packages are, without a doubt, needed elsewhere for more serious crimes.

 

I know it wouldn't eliminate porch pirate theft but if the delivery person would just ring the damn doorbell to alert the recipient of the package delivery, it would probably stop 1/2 of the thefts. Even if you request an alert of some type (doorbell, knock, text, etc), they usually don't do it. I guess the reasoning is that they are in a company policy-based, production-inspired hurry and don't want unnecessary delays...like someone answering the door and saying Thank You. Sad but true.

[Bart Slade]

7 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

I know it wouldn't eliminate porch pirate theft but if the delivery person would just ring the damn doorbell to alert the recipient of the package delivery, it would probably stop 1/2 of the thefts. Even if you request an alert of some type (doorbell, knock, text, etc), they usually don't do it. I guess the reasoning is that they are in a company policy-based, production-inspired hurry and don't want unnecessary delays...like someone answering the door and saying Thank You. Sad but true.

 

Get a "ring" for your door, and it chimes whether they ring the doorbell or not.

 

I also imagine there would be a deterrent effect to making it legal to work the pirates over with a baseball bat.  The technology exists to record the interaction.   As long as you have video of them stealing from your porch, you should be able to use force to stop them without any fear of prosecution - or anything further than showing the video to the police.

[Rip Snorter]

I don't have the problem since it is better than a third of a mile up the driveway to the house.  I don't think physical intervention is a good idea. No package I have ever received would be worth the risk of legal complications.  I would take good photos of them, their vehicle and license plate and present those to law enforcement, and to the neighborhood.  If you have dogs and pick up after them, a 10 lb. box of dog droppings as a bait package might be a deterrent as well.

[Cypress Sun]

4 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

I don't have the problem since it is better than a third of a mile up the driveway to the house.  I don't think physical intervention is a good idea. No package I have ever received would be worth the risk of legal complications.  I would take good photos of them, their vehicle and license plate and present those to law enforcement, and to the neighborhood.  If you have dogs and pick up after them, a 10 lb. box of dog droppings as a bait package might be a deterrent as well.

 

***THIS***

 

I've never ordered anything that cost as much as an attorney or is worth time in prison.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

Some I've seen in video or news articles weren't bad looking.  I thought about leaving packages on the porch as bait. 

[Calamity Kris]

1 hour ago, Rip Snorter said:

I don't have the problem since it is better than a third of a mile up the driveway to the house. 

 

We have a long drive and such as well.  Unfortunately, it affords the dirtbags the opportunity to go about their business undetected.  We're looking into security cameras and such so we have something to present to the sheriff's office.

[Warden Callaway]

If you get a new TV,  put the old one out in the new box and let the dirt bags haul it off. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Payback is, well, orgasmic.  KARMA!

 

 

 

There’s a Sagan of these on YouTube.

[Rye Miles #13621]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

It is a good idea, but I don't know about deterrent. The bait package would have to be used in sufficient quantities to produce justifiable results.

 

I detest thieves of any type and I hate to say this, but I will...the funds/manhours spent on policing the bait packages are, without a doubt, needed elsewhere for more serious crimes.

 

I know it wouldn't eliminate porch pirate theft but if the delivery person would just ring the damn doorbell to alert the recipient of the package delivery, it would probably stop 1/2 of the thefts. Even if you request an alert of some type (doorbell, knock, text, etc), they usually don't do it. I guess the reasoning is that they are in a company policy-based, production-inspired hurry and don't want unnecessary delays...like someone answering the door and saying Thank You. Sad but true.

Parma is a good sized suburb, largest in the county, they apparently have the extra funds to pull this off. It’s become a big problem in this city. There’s probably only a couple officers that are designated for this assignment.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

In the old days, we used to put Malachite Green dye powder on truck gas caps.  The powder doesn't show up much, but it permanently dyes skin  bright green as soon as it gets wet.  When gas was siphoned out of our trucks in those days,  we just went up to the high school bus stop the next morning and looked around at the hands.

 

Now, I think Malachite Green is a restricted-sale "carcinogen", like most everything else in California.  

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

1 minute ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

In the old days, we used to put Malachite Green dye powder on truck gas caps.  The powder doesn't show up much, but it permanently dyes hands bright green as soon as  they get wet.  When gas was siphoned out of our trucks in those days,  we just went up to the high school bus stop the next morning and looked around.

Now, I think Malachite Green is a restricted-sale "carcinogen", like most everything else in California.  

 

 

Actually there are durable UV active dyes that are invisible till lit up.

[Cypress Sun]

3 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Parma is a good sized suburb, largest in the county, they apparently have the extra funds to pull this off. It’s become a big problem in this city. There’s probably only a couple officers that are designated for this assignment.

 

At this point, they haven't caught anyone according to their spokesperson. As much as I would like to see these porch pirates identified, arrested, convicted and imprisoned...it ain't gonna happen. There's simply just not enough punishment enforced for this type of crime...or many other crimes. The thieves know that they can get away with it. 

 

They might catch a couple of thieves, put on the "big" show, claim how much of a deterrent it is...and that will be the end of it. Pomp, show and wag the dog. Truth is, there's no money in it.  

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

Neighbors have a lock box about a 2' cube on their porch next to front door. I don't know if it's fastened down but at least you can't see if there is anything in it. 

 

Others have a security system that they can watch and answer the door. 

[WM. Brocious]

There are meth head thieves everywhere these days.. Even in Tombstone :-(

[Utah Bob #35998]

17 minutes ago, WM. Brocious said:

There are meth head thieves everywhere these days.. Even in Tombstone :-(

And not much deters them. They have no logical thought processes left. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

At this point, they haven't caught anyone according to their spokesperson. As much as I would like to see these porch pirates identified, arrested, convicted and imprisoned...it ain't gonna happen. There's simply just not enough punishment enforced for this type of crime...or many other crimes. The thieves know that they can get away with it. 

 

They might catch a couple of thieves, put on the "big" show, claim how much of a deterrent it is...and that will be the end of it. Pomp, show and wag the dog. Truth is, there's no money in it.  

 

 

They just started it! Give it some time. I think it's a big deterrent especially if they catch a few of these lowlifes. These aren't hardened criminals we're talking about. I think they can easily be scared away and then of course they'll just go on to the next suburb.

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

My friend experienced a few package losses. She lives in a Condo complex, many one family houses close together. One package was dog food from Chewy.com. The units were built with carports not garages.  While taking a walk she saw a Chewy box in a neighbor’s carport and snooped close enough to see that the box had her name on it. The neighbor was known to have had problems with pharmaceuticals.  ))) Apparently when he discovered that it was something that was not easily converted to cash he just left it. She called Nashua’s Finest who took a report and asked if she wanted to press charges. She declined, but if it happens again there is at least a report on file.

[Sedalia Dave]

Unfortunately for many of us the Cops couldn't care less. Know someone that has an auto repair shop. They have TV quality video of one of the local low lifes removing catalytic converters from cars in their lot. 

 

Took the video to both the City Police and the County Sheriff. In both cases the cops took their complaint but informed them that they wouldn't act on it as the DA wouldn't prosecute no matter how good the video was.  

 

 

[Buckshot Bear]

@Rye Miles #13621 LOL you've got me addicted to watching "Porch Pirates" on YouTube 

[PowderRiverCowboy]

Makes getting a new TV and getting a free disposal easy , Just place old one in the box the new one came in re-tape and set on front porch . They will pick it up for you

[Rip Snorter]

Problem in many places, even with excellent photos, you can't get them prosecuted, and heaven forbid you intervene to protect your property.  It is likely in Blue states at least,  that you would be charged and prosecuted!

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

On 12/6/2022 at 10:06 AM, Calamity Kris said:

 

We have a long drive and such as well.  Unfortunately, it affords the dirtbags the opportunity to go about their business undetected.  We're looking into security cameras and such so we have something to present to the sheriff's office.

Our community has had a rash of theft lately. Our local police had a community meeting.  They said to help them for home owners to install high quality cameras.  They did stress HIGH resolution quality cameras.  
 

 

 

 

 

.

[July Smith]

What surprises me about a lot security footage of porch pirates is often times there are average looking middle aged people driving decent cars, not kids or druggie looking people on foot.    

[Lone Spur Jake SASS #7728]

Go to your local dumbass drug dealer, that any high school student can direct you to, and buy some pure Fentanyl from our friends in China, brought across the Mexican border by our friends of Joe Biteme, and put it in empty aspirin bottles in a package on your front porch.  Be sure to wear rubber gloves when doing this.

Now this would be fun.

 

[DeaconKC]