
This angry inventor has a special gift for package thieves: Revenge - fmihaila
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/12/19/this-angry-inventor-has-a-special-gift-for-package-thieves-revenge/?utm_term=.902a9f773258
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geebee
I'd be very careful about doing this - it appears illegal and could lead to
civil and criminal sanctions against the person who left the blank-filled
package. This concern is confirmed by statements from the police in this
article.

There are a couple of scenarios that worry me here. First, suppose a neighbor
(perhaps a child) sees or hears about a package thief in the area and decides
to take the packages for safekeeping until the owner is back. The neighbor
grabs a blank loaded package, is terrified, and falls down the stairs
suffering injury (IANAL, but let's get law student case study-ish here and say
"suffers grievous bodily injury"). My guess is that the case against the
property owner who set the booby trapped package would be strong, and criminal
charges are possible here as well.

Now, replace the above scenario where it is a thief? My understanding is that
the property owner could still be charged and/or sued.

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JoeAltmaier
Isn't there something about you can't sue for damages incurred during the
commission of a felony? Or is that just TV cop shows.

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geebee
Sorry, IANAL.

My guess is that there are probably some legal protections in that situation,
but not enough to shield you from criminal charges or lawsuits. But I don't
really know.

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JoeAltmaier
A quick google turns up the doctrine of 'unclean hands' but not sure what that
it.

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colanderman
These videos make clear a suggestion I've seen elsewhere:

Put security cameras at ground level, facing up. Perps are almost always
hooded or hatted.

Side note, does anyone know how effective it is to shame, through the media,
local law enforcement into actually acting on surveillance videos like these?
It boggles my mind that LE, presented with video evidence and an identity,
would decline to press charges.

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ainiriand
Those people are really scumbags. I think this invention is something good
that has to bring some sanity to the world while the police is there not doing
their job.

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londons_explore
This guy had _20_ packages stolen, _after_ he made the exploding box?

Sounds unlikely to me... The chances that there are 20 distinct thieves in the
area, who all try to steal this one box?

If that were the case, pretty much every legit amazon package in the area must
be being stolen too...

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sjg007
Doesn't surprise me. There are people driving around neighborhoods all day
long looking for packages.

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billconan
How many of you have packages stolen? Some of my friends constantly have this
problem.

There should be some ideas like this to solve it.

