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ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — A south St. Louis man is fighting back in a creative way against people who steal packages off the front steps of homes.
By one estimate, such thefts have resulted in a $5.4 billion loss in the past year.
The offenders are often called “porch pirates” but Bruce Watson says he believes that’s too flippant, too cute a term, for common thieves.
“[They’re] stealing packages off our porch, stealing them off neighbors’ porches. Finally I got tired of it,” he said. “Somebody’s gotta start fighting back against these folks.”
Watson lives in Benton Park West and said he loves his neighborhood, but criminals stealing packages and walking through the area looking for unlocked vehicles left him frustrated.
He found inspiration in his cat’s litter box.
“One day I was cleaning up after the cat, had a couple extra Amazon packages in the basement, and I was like ‘We’re gonna try this out.’”
He packaged up what was in the litter box and left it out for thieves to take. It worked quickly.
“I’ve had two cat crap packages stolen just this week alone,” he said.
A neighbor actually found one of the packages on the ground and was ready to return it when he saw the note to the thief that Watson had included inside the package.
“‘Hi, you’re on camera. F-you thief. Hope you like cat crap,’” it read. “I probably could’ve been a little more polite.”
He says he was pretty aggravated that day, and he’s not alone, as the problem persists all over the region.
A 22-year-old O’Fallon, Illinois woman dressed like a delivery person was recently seen taking packages off porches around St. Charles County, and police recently began searching for a couple who were caught on camera moving through neighborhoods in south St. Louis County stealing packages. Watson said the trend has him concerned about more than just a package being taken.
“It’s the safety of the neighborhood, because if someone’s willing to drive around in broad daylight and steal from you, what else are they willing to do?” He said. “That’s what worries me more than the packages.”
Asked if he’s concerned about any retaliation, Watson said if he gets a brick through his window whoever throws it will be on camera.
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