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Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

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Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#581

Post by jboy55 »

EForEndeavour wrote: post #484
jboy55 wrote: post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if someone goes and grabs 10 packages, and they have 15 random things, 14 of those won't be worth selling for $. If I think about the last 10 things I've ordered, and my thinking of my last garage sale. Nothing was really that valuable that there would be an easy sell.

I would expect the fact that most packages are of low value to increase theft, not discourage it. Lower-value packages carry even less chance of repercussions, and incentivize thieves to steal even more packages to make sure their effort is worthwhile.

Just really difficult (time consuming) to convert a pack of dog bones, a cheap bike light and a random tshirt (last 3 things i've ordered) into $. I think most of those items would just get tossed if they aren't of immediate use.

One thing I hadn't thought of though, is that these items might just be accumulating in someone's horde. Filling up some house or rental storage.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#582

Post by jiveturkey »

shaftway wrote: post #390
tivert wrote: post #256

If you're concerned about package thieves, just buy an outdoor cabinet and put it next to your door with a note asking that packages be placed in it. I use an Ikea Josef: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/outdoo... You don't even need a lock for it. If you can get the deliverymen to consistently place packages in it, the thieves will have no idea if there's actually a package at your door to steal…

Yeah, we had a package stolen off our porch, so we did that. It's a bench with a liftable top. The plan was to put a padlock on it. All of our packages are addressed to: Shaftway Place in Bench - Code 1234 24601 Where I Live St. My City, ST, ZipZipZip We order a lot of stuff, and probably average 3 deliveries per day. In the last 3 months we've had exactly one package placed in the bench. And we never even got around…

> Delivery people don't care.

Delivery people don't have time to care. They aren't even reading the labels you know.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#583

Post by SCAQTony »

myrryr wrote: post #473
SCAQTony wrote: post #458

Is this even legal or safe to have a glitter "bomb," or more accurately, a spinning motor spraying glue if an accomplice opens the package within a moving car? How about just a GPS signal to notify cops. The glitter stuff and chemical spray is probably a civil liability as well.

> How about just a GPS signal to notify cops. Which would work if the cops cared about it at all... Which leads to the glitter bomb being created....

My understanding is that the police do care and Amazon is working with them... and they are not using glitter or chemical scents like you advocate:

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/12/11/us/ap-us-porch-t...

CBS: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/police-department...

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#584

Post by quotha »

stcredzero wrote: post #507
quotha wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to believe how many people are concerned by that. So a cowardly thief gets glitter bombed and you are worried that they will come back!! Imagine how much worse it would get for them.

Think of it this way: You have made a 100 to 200 pound large hairless ape angry at you. This creature has human intelligence, and no interest in your feelings or your safety. Rather, it wants to make you suffer. It's more capable than the most advanced robot, and may hold onto its grudge and plan revenge over the next several months or a year. Who wants to sign up for that?

You do realize it was a glitter bomb right?

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#586

Post by pbhjpbhj »

zanny wrote: post #540
will_brown wrote: post #512

I just told this story on HN, but my car window was smashed on 10/13/18 and the theives got my wallet and house keys. They used my credit card at foot locker (~$500), The Store Manager confirmed two guys made the purchase and corporate said they would turn over the video if police just ask. A month later the bank fraud dept informed me someone was trying to cash a fake check ($1,600) against my account at an ATM usin…

The worst part is there is really nothing a normal person can do in a situation like this. You would end up paying substantially more to hire a lawyer to hound the police or pursue the investigation independently, and even if you brought the thieves to justice you would never recoup your costs. I'm not smart enough to come up with solutions but there has to be something better than police unaccountable to anyone with…

>even if you brought the thieves to justice you would never recoup your costs. //

Assuming the video in OP is genuine the thieves, IIRC, are pretty well off. They certainly have assets that could be forfeit -- nice cars, comfy furniture, smartphones, etc..

These people don't appear to be stealing through necessity.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#587

Post by [deleted] »

stcredzero wrote: post #507
quotha wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to believe how many people are concerned by that. So a cowardly thief gets glitter bombed and you are worried that they will come back!! Imagine how much worse it would get for them.

Think of it this way: You have made a 100 to 200 pound large hairless ape angry at you. This creature has human intelligence, and no interest in your feelings or your safety. Rather, it wants to make you suffer. It's more capable than the most advanced robot, and may hold onto its grudge and plan revenge over the next several months or a year. Who wants to sign up for that?

[deleted]

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#588

Post by markgavalda »

chaoticmass wrote: post #515
technofiend wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe version two will have a fart spray auto loader.

I think a way to aerate the fart spray into the glitter as it launches out would be a nice touch, not only would the glitter get on everything, it would smell bad and be hard to get out.

You could also add instant glue ;-)

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#589

Post by logfromblammo »

learc83 wrote: post #319
logfromblammo wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cops may care when someone steals from a retail business . They don't care when the same person steals from you, an individual . The reason why I know this should be self-evident. I might also mention that if you know someone in the prosecutors' office, your experience will be very different from the majority of theft victims. Cases that never get referred to the prosecutor due to lack of evidence, due to lack of…

Cops don't treat retail businesses that much different from individuals in my experience. If you have video evidence plus a person in custody, a license plate, or an address, there's a good chance of an arrest. If all you have is a picture, then they will blow you off. >Cases that never get referred to the prosecutor due to lack of evidence That's most cases of misdemeanor property theft though. No evidence, video an…

There's nothing they can cost-effectively do.

If it costs more to pay a detective 10 minutes to think about the case than it would to just replace the lost property, the naive case-by-case accounting says to just let it go.

The victim probably doesn't care about a successful prosecution. They might just want to recover their property. They want their bike back. Or their catalytic converter. Or their phone. Or their laptop. Or their dog. Catching the crook is nice, but it isn't the victim's first priority. They just want to be made whole again. They feel that they have already paid for the police protection via taxes, and are frustrated when they can't collect.

But the cops don't want to dick around with solving petty crimes. And they don't want to spend $10000 to recover $200 worth of property, and possibly still not have enough evidence to convict. They certainly don't want to give their only physical evidence back to its rightful owner, and then not have it available for a trial later with clear chain of custody. They also feel that they have already allocated their entire budget, prioritizing more serious crimes first, and that focusing their limited resources elsewhere could reduce public safety.

I'm not judging the cops here, just saying the priorities are not aligned in the petty theft victim's favor, with reasonable arguments possible both for and against the rigorous pursuit of petty crimes.

As a general rule, an individual cannot count on the cops to help them. With anything. Especially if you're not white. So you don't even call them, unless someone is dead or about to die anyway, or you absolutely have to for your insurance claim. Handle your own vigilance, buy property insurance, and let the crooks choke on your glitter.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#590

Post by rdtsc »

will_brown wrote: post #512

I just told this story on HN, but my car window was smashed on 10/13/18 and the theives got my wallet and house keys. They used my credit card at foot locker (~$500), The Store Manager confirmed two guys made the purchase and corporate said they would turn over the video if police just ask. A month later the bank fraud dept informed me someone was trying to cash a fake check ($1,600) against my account at an ATM usin…

I completely understand. My car has been broken into multiple times. Thieves stole my wife's credit card and went on a shopping spree. The store had footage but the police refused to do anything. It could be worse course, but it's very disappointing when this happens.

Not sure what your options are - move to a relatively wealthy suburb probably with a well funded police department where they might not be lazy enough to investigate?

This is how neighborhoods "go downhill" as they say. Car break-ins were a major decision for us to move out that town.

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