Californian fed up with stolen mail sends Apple AirTag to herself to catch thief

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Mailbox security and PO box vulnerabilities

  • Many are surprised PO boxes can be robbed; they assumed back-loaded boxes and robust locks.
  • Several note that front-access master-key systems exist for post offices and apartments; a single master key or panel key can open hundreds of boxes.
  • Claims that postal master keys are often stolen or duplicated; cheap insert locks can be bypassed with basic tools or lockpicking.
  • General sentiment: common locks mostly deter honest people; determined thieves can bypass them easily.

Law enforcement, DAs, and “acceptance of crime”

  • Multiple commenters argue low-level crimes are trivially catchable with decoys and trackers, but police and prosecutors often choose not to prioritize them.
  • Explanations offered:
    • DAs not prosecuting petty crimes or drug offenses, leading police to see arrests as pointless.
    • Police unions and political dynamics causing “slowdowns” or selective enforcement.
    • Court backlogs, full jails, and resource constraints forcing triage.
  • Others counter that claims of DAs “refusing to prosecute” are overstated or selectively framed, citing data where charge-filing patterns are more nuanced.
  • Some see policing as more about visible power projection than solving property crimes.

Policy debates: petty crime, incarceration, and comparisons abroad

  • One side advocates more consistent enforcement and meaningful penalties, especially for repeat offenders, arguing a small number of people cause disproportionate harm.
  • Others note the U.S. already has extremely high incarceration, and point to Nordic countries with low incarceration and low crime as counterexamples.
  • Pushback includes arguments about societal differences (size, “monoculture,” history) and that incarceration length, not arrest rate, is the main U.S. outlier.
  • Debate remains unresolved; causes of higher U.S. crime are labeled “unclear.”

Porch piracy and delivery practices

  • Some non-U.S. readers are baffled by packages left openly; others say it works fine in many U.S. areas and they value convenience over security.
  • Suggestions include better front-door/package infrastructure, lockers, or requiring signatures; others warn that crime of opportunity is hard to fully eliminate.

Jurisdiction and response in this case

  • Mail theft is noted as a federal crime, but commenters point out that multiple jurisdictions can apply simultaneously, so local sheriffs are still relevant.
  • Some think the victim benefited from being in a small town; in big cities, police might ignore even precise tracker locations.

AirTags and technical limits

  • AirTags rely on nearby Apple devices for location; they lack GPS and altitude.
  • This makes them good for narrowing to a building or area, but not a specific apartment or floor without in-person searching.