A woman has allegedly been caught on camera stealing her neighbours' post and packages, but she reportedly continues the behaviour despite being confronted. One resident, frustrated by the ongoing thefts, is now planning drastic action.
Ongoing Theft Despite Confrontation
The resident, posting on Reddit, said the neighbour has been stealing for years and that there is video evidence showing her face. They printed a flyer with her photo, address, and phone number, labelling her a 'local neighbourhood thief', and placed it on her door. However, the thefts have continued, with the neighbour now covering her face in the videos, though she can still be seen running home.
The resident described the neighbour as an adult living with her mother and son, who steals everything, including umbrellas from backyards. Police have previously attended the property regarding a stolen truck. The resident asked for advice on what else could be done.
Reddit Users Suggest Revenge Tactics
Fellow Reddit users offered suggestions, including placing dog faeces in an Amazon package or rigging a bottle of fart spray to release when opened. The original poster responded positively to the fart spray idea. Another suggested a box of fine glitter in a small tin, which would be difficult to clean up. A third suggested the behaviour might be kleptomania and recommended delivering packages to a workplace, PO Box, or UPS store, or using a lock storage box. Others advised sending a tracked parcel to gather more evidence.
Legal Implications of Stealing Post
Under the Postal Services Act 2000, it can be an offence to deliberately open a postal packet while in transmission without reasonable excuse. If opened by mistake, it may not be a criminal offence. Taking someone else's parcels is against the law in the UK, potentially amounting to theft under the Theft Act 1968, a postal offence, or fraud. The maximum sentence for theft is up to seven years imprisonment. Under Section 84 of the Postal Services Act 2000, intentionally opening another person's package with intent to act to their detriment can result in up to six months imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
