NASA scientist vs. Porch Pirates

[Knaight]

Theft is not injury. If you want to argue deliberate harm, then booby traps will almost invariably be worse than theft on that front.

Neither are glitter and a stink bomb in this context though. Had the package been intended to actually harm (such as the fireworks suggestion, which is a straight up explosive) this conversation would be very different, with significantly fewer people seeing it as a reasonable response. Not none, but fewer.

Not just catch them in the act, you have to show the cops that it's worth their time to investigate. Off the top of my head, there are three things that would do that.
1. Show that it happens frequently enough that it would embarrass the local cops/government.
2. Show that the damages are high enough that it would embarrass the local cops/government.
3. Do most of the work for them (for example, identifying the criminal so all they have to do is send a cop to their home).

There's a few more categories.
4. You're a person the cops give particular favor to (sufficiently wealthy, friend of the police somehow)
5. They have reason to suspect the thief is someone they particularly dislike.
6. The package can be subject to civil forfeiture for being "involved" in a crime, and the police want it.