Man rigs package to scare thieves, deter package thefts

TACOMA, Wash. — Jaireme Barrow was tired of having packages stolen from the front porch of his home in Washington state, so he rigged his own box with a very loud surprise inside.

Barrow used an Amazon delivery box and built a firing mechanism armed with a blank 12-gauge shotgun shell attached to a string. Pick up the package and the shell fires.

It's harmless, but very loud, and very frightening. It's designed to terrify thieves who have the frustrating habit of targeting his front porch.

“Last two months I’ve had four packages come up missing and I just wanted some way to even the score,” said Barrow. “This is the best way I see fit.”

Surveillance video from earlier this month shows a woman jumping from a car and rushing to the front door to steal a package. A second camera caught her terrified reaction as the shell fired. She dropped the box and ran screaming.

Barrow’s surveillance system caught another theft suspect who fell for the booby-trapped box as well.  A microphone caught the loud blast, and the would-be thief couldn’t run away fast enough.

Barrow said he won't share how he rigged the box because he doesn't want anyone else to try it and hurt themselves. He doesn't want to hurt the thieves either. He just wants them to think twice before grabbing someone else's property.

“You know, you’re at work and you’re working hard and you’ve got these people out there that make a daily routine of running around and stealing packages,” he said. “There’s no real way to prevent it so this is my solution.”

Cox Media Group