Last week a colleague from my job was burgled. Intruders broke into his home and stole some of his possessions.
If I was in charge a police force of a district, I would draw inspiration from fly paper. Just like thieves, flies intrude in people's homes. They steal a small amount of food and worse still infect people's food with salmonella or some other microbe. To stop flies, I leave fly paper traps. When the fly lands on the fly paper, it gets stuck. Landing on fly paper is the last thing the fly will do. I don't wait until my food gets infected.
If I was in charge of the police I would leave traps like cars for people to steal or boxes on porches. When they take the bait and steal the item they become trapped or arrested for theft.
The person that is trapped and arrested can no longer steal anything because they are no longer free citizens.
