oh that's a major federal offense. someone may be in trouble......

p.o boxes do wonders

This is why i use epassporte instead checks hehe

Fuck you. These aren't kids, they're old enough to know exactly what they are doing and that it is very wrong and if they get caught they will be in trouble. They need to be taught a lesson.

we live in a technical world forget mouse traps... tape a note inside that says "smile for the camera asshole!" I bet they about piss their pants!

It?s illegal for anyone to mess with your mail, your mailbox, open it, and screw with it in any form. Call the police or sheriff, get them out and make a report, if you have a witness they will follow up. You can easily get people into trouble if you have proof.

My parents had people just messing with the box, they came out and took prints, to give you an idea. In the wrong state, you can get shot for screwing with people?s mail.

And SCREW YOU PEOPLE that think she needs to lock her mailbox. The mailbox and mail is protected like it?s a person. Yup, Good'ol America!

You know them do you? I am sorry I assumed they were kids because she called them kids, go figure. I can tell you one thing, if you came to my house and told my kid was doing this and the trouble it caused you I'd sure as hell make sure they made it up to you 5 times over. If you tried to prosecute my KID with something that carries 5 years imprisonment and some ridiculous fine (which as kids they realistically wouldn't get of course) for being a jackass KID I'd destroy your life. Not trying to be some internet gangster, but seriously you're a joke if you try to prosecute kids for doing something like this.

and why exactly shouldn't they be punished for committing a crime of such magnitude? you know what, they shouldn't be punished.....their parents should do the time for raising such horrible children.

mina, if nothing else the thought of going to jail should scare the shit out of them enough where they will get their act together (well one would hope anyway).

She said they were 11 and 14. That's not a kid. Years ago when I lived in an apartment some kids around 5-7 years of age stole a bunch of mail and destroyed it. That was taken up with the parents as the kids were not really old enough to understand what they were doing. A couple teenagers stealing checks is different. They understand what they are doing and know there will be consequences for their actions if caught. Looks like they'll have to face the music.

Kids need discipline. These kids CLEARLY are lacking good judgement that should be instilled in them by that age. I would ABSOLUTELY call the police after I took their pictures and tackled their asses to the dirt. If their mom or dad had a problem with it, thats ok. Sometimes you have to do the right thing and thats that.

<edit> Theres not much worse than a parent that defends their kid when the kid was dead wrong.</edit>

50 punk ass kids

I have a feeling some of you were raised in a completely different world to many others. Certainly an 11 year old wouldn't understand the true magnitude and difficultly taking someones mail could cause, and nor would a 14 year old, they are simply having a jackass laugh. Hell, there is still a presumption here, albeit rebuttable in court, (and in most civilized parts of the world) that covers children up to and including 14 years of age from being criminally prosecuted at all. Not to mention that (following advise from child psychologists, etc) there is an irrefutable presumption that those 10 and under cannot be held criminally responsible at all. I am not going to doubt that they do know what they are doing isn't right, but they hardly understand the ramifications it may cause the victim or the potential seriousness of pinching some mail from a neighbor and opening it up. Sounds like some of you need to grow up, and learn to be the bigger man or woman - it isn't hard, after all they are kids. The kids who need to see the police are stealing cars by the age of 14, not mail, visit their parents, scare the shit out of them by all means, but I highly doubt they are really bad kids that deserve a criminal record.

This seems to have struck a personal nerve with you. Were you prosecuted when you were young or has someone pressed charges against your child?

Just put a picture of yourself on the mailbox, that'll put the fear of God in them.

If someone steals from you, you go after them, no matter how young they are.

No in fact, kind of the opposite. I got away with a lot of stupid shit as a kid, some only by pure luck. Not for lack of having a good parent trying either, as some have suggested. Fair enough my dad was out of the picture, but my mum put everything into raising 5 kids and I just know it isn't realistic to assume every kid who does stuff wrong deserves such harsh ramifications, or has shitty parents who aren't trying their hardest. I was pulled into line with time, and I have gone on to live a productive life, as have all those in the rest of the family. I honestly really feel that being a kid at that age can be a volatile time, and things you do aren't always representative of who or what you could be. So yeah, I certainly believe at that age they deserve a chance.

And if someone goes after your kid so ridiculously, you baseball bat their knee caps and light their car/s up one night. See what a wonderful world we can live in if we all want to be ruthless?

But if you dont get a real public authority to put the fear into the kid, he/she will figure they got away with it and all that happened is mom hollered at them.

To put it another way, I personally would feel for the kid. But I would not let THEM know that. Else I'd be the doormat of the neighborhood where they can get away with shit with no consequences.

Well that's the difference between scaring the shit out of them and actually prosecuting them (as she suggested, and seems set on). Sure going to the cops and asking them to scare the kids is a reasonable idea. Anyway I'm off to sleep. :2 cents:

1st point - No DA in his right mind will prosecute them if they are under 13 or so, keep that in mind. Hopefully he will just scare them straight.

2nd point - This type of thing happens when kids get out of school for the summer. Ask any cop. Vandalism, petty theft, loitering, and curfew laws get broken more when kids are bored and free, its just a fact of life.

3rd point - I DO indeed feel sorry for you, as this happened to me once before in a different nature. I had signed the slips for FedEx and UPS to be able to leave things on my porch, which was a huge mistake. Long story short, I was always at the office and kids on my street would steal packages off my porch at home. Never could prove it, and in the end they got off with a DVD player, some new t-shirts, and the occasional CD.

I have a feeling you have not looked around at the typical 11-14 year olds out there

at ages 12-13 they have "color bracelet" parties, and depending on what sex act you perform on the guys, you get colored bracelets for that sex act

and in Philadelphia they are trying to cope with the new "good night blowjob" issue...when 13-14 year olds go out on dates, they give a blowjob instead of a good night kiss, so they can brag to their friends

kids are growing up WAY faster these days then when we were young...I would compare a 12-13 year old now to when I was 16-17

While you may feel that way,, if they are under 18, most likely nothing will happen to them. The first thing you need to do, is try and get photos of them doing it. Video would be even better.

But dont count on more than some hand slapping and probation.

Good luck with that. The kids will end up in juvenile court, you aren't going to be able to touch the parents.

Tell their parents they can choose between you either calling the police, or them mowing your lawn for a month.

Has anybody talked to their parents? My parents would have made my life beyond hell if I had done anything near that.

Amazing how many people want to just let them off though and then wonder why they grow up to be nightmares as adults too.

What's with the lameass namecalling?

What YOU don't seem to understand is that in this day and age people are getting sick to death of kids pulling shit like in no other time in recent history. If they're not outright doing destructive shit to other people's property they are out stealing cars, kids as young as 12 and 14 yrs old. Here in Winnipeg recently there were several kids from different parts of the city who were not only stealing people's cars but would drive around running people down with them.

And now mail theft where someone income is being stolen.

And couple that with the fact that more often than not you have idiot parents of these young hellions who aren't willing to administer any meaningful discipline, or they outright arrogantly DEFEND their little brats, thus making it pretty easy to see where the kid gets his behavior patterns from.

Add it all up and yup, you're damn right people are fed up with this horsehit that you'd like to pass off as "kids just being kids". You know what? I'm with Cassie on this in part, in that you the parent should have to suffer some consequences for the actions of your offspring. Maybe that would serve to be the kickstart needed to promt some parents to actuallyl BE parents and to keep closer tabs on their kids' lives.


HOWEVER.... in this case if it were me I would certainly threaten to pursue having charges layed, but would also give the parent(s) a chance to come forward and talk to me, and have their kids apologize and make proper amends. Maybe the little shits could cut my grass and shovel my walk for a year, that is if they aren't already little criminals in training with that "fuck you I know better" attitude that comes with it.


My four cents. :2 cents::2 cents:

One of the reasons this world is going to shit. Everyone thinks they are special these days. And everyone thinks they are entitled to do whatever they want without consequences. It's just beautiful.:Oh crap

Perhaps in what they do, but not in what they understand.

I've had many a conversation about this with people specializing in early childhood education and child psychology.

The internet and media has glorified these kinds of things and kids just want to replicate what they have seen or heard. Experience does not add up to maturity at that age.

:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

Where this conversation is going, it reminded me of the Offspring song that addressed this issue:


Like the latest fashion
Like a spreading disease
The kids are strappin' on their way to the classroom
Getting weapons with the greatest of ease
The gangs stake their own campus locale
And if they catch you slippin' then it's all over pal
If one guy's colors and the other's don't mix
They're gonna bash it up
Hey - man you talkin' back to me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey - man you disrespecting me?
Take him out
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey they don't pay no mind
If you're under 18 you won't be doing any time
Hey come out and play
By the time you hear the siren
It's already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy's wasted and the other's a waste
It goes down the same as the thousand before
No one's getting smarter
No one's learning the score
Your never ending spree of death and violence and hate
Is gonna tie your own rope


In my opinion, as someone who has worked with many kids through out the years when I was in highschool and university, I think kids are just kids and fall into what ever routine their group dictates. I understand that there need to be consequences for actions, but arbitrarily passing down punishment on kids that are so young will not make any meaningful difference. Instead it could do the opposite and make them loath those who are in power. I think you are better off to teach the kids why their actions are wrong and show them how it would affect the other person.

This attitude of caring about only yourself is really not going to produce any meaningful results. Pressing charges (if it is even possible) will not go anywhere. Are you going to feel good about yourself if they are punished and the parents are fined? In my opinion you are better off being part of the solution by talking to the kids and the parents about the problem and allow them to work it off through yard work or other forms of labour (as others have mentioned). In the end, everyone will be better off and you will probably feel good about being a good influence in those kids lives. :2 cents:

Prosecuting to the full extent of the law is not "being ruthless", it's a perfectly legitimate (and legal) thing to do when someone breaks the law (in this case: steals someones income). Attacking a person with a baseball bat because that person fell victim to the criminal activities of one of your children and that person defended him/herself in a perfectly legal way, is not what I would call "setting a good example".

quoted cuz it's true.

what he said.

man. that's really fucked up.
i'm very sorry to hear that.

We have no idea what the parents are like. it's not like these kids stole their parents gun and started picking off neighbourhood cats and dogs or hurt anyone...they stole mail. I'm not saying these kids are little angels, but this isn't exactly the biggest offence in the world. Much greater crimes have gone unpunished. So why would you punish the parents who no doubt know anything is going on?

Reading all this stuff makes me laugh a little because people talk like they never did anything slightly questionable or wrong when they were a kid. Get over it we were all young once.

um yeah they would, when I was 14 I was drinking and smoking pot, I fully understood what I was doing and the consequences

Keep in mind that if you booby trap your mail box and somebody ends up getting hurt, especially a postal employee, you will be wide open to civil litigation yourself. Be careful.

I skipped 54 days of school when I was a kid, and got sentanced by the family court to 18 months in a childrens home.

One of the best things that ever happened to me in terms of growing up with a real sense of right and wrong and consequences and responsibility.

they stole money.

FYI.. mantraps are illegal..

3 days of electric shock treatment enjoyed from the comfort of your workspace. cam that fucker and rig it up to a button connected voltage supply and fry the fuckers. zappo.... can i come to your place and eradicate your problem?