MATTHEWS, N.C. — Working to prevent porch pirates is always a priority, but have you ever considered pranking the suspected thieves? A Matthews man is doing just that in hopes of teaching the would-be criminals a lesson.
Shawn Anthony told WCNC Charlotte he's never personally had any of his packages stolen from his porch, but he said he's seen plenty of tales about it happening all over -- and it's frustrating.
“This is our property, this is our neighborhood, and this is our stuff you're stealing," Anthony said.
Anthony finally decided to do something about it -- starting with a decoy Amazon delivery box and a bag filled with cat litter inside, ready to spill once the box is opened.
“If you’re a cat owner you know that's the worst possible thing that can happen so I figured if I can make that happen to one porch pirate maybe they’ll think twice about doing it again," Anthony said.
He later shared his idea with his neighbors on the Nextdoor App and got an overwhelming response of support.
"My neighbors absolutely loved it," Anthony said. “Unfortunately, the police don’t have the resources to track this kind of crime so we have to bind together as friends and community members and send a statement to these criminals this is not going to happen in our neighborhood.”
Police recommend these tips to avoid having your package stolen:
- Schedule your deliveries at a time when you are at home or get the packages delivered to your job.
- Develop good relationships with your neighbors to be on the lookout.
- Install home security cameras.
No one has fallen victim to the prank just yet, but Anthony says he is waiting and ready for when or if someone does.
“Hopefully someone will take the bait, and even if they don’t I will raise enough awareness of this problem people are going to start keeping their eyes out for this kind of stuff," Anthony said.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.