On Halloween evening in Los Alamos, a group of teenage kids in a 90s-era, Nissan extra-cab pickup stole about $40 worth of pumpkins from our front porch.

Our light was on in order to welcome the trick-or-treaters that were making their rounds in our neighborhood. I noticed noise outside, resulting from the theft, and ran out our door too late to catch these kids on foot, but I did watch them drive away at a dangerously high speed along a residential street, where small children were walking. One child was almost hit by their truck.

There are several reasons to be angry with this situation:

• First, these thieves were taking advantage of their community’s willingness to open their doors and hand out treats to children. They are emboldened by this trust to come onto people’s property and steal decorations that are intended to add to younger children’s fun.
• Second, pumpkins cost money. I see no difference between stealing something worth $40 and taking $40 of cash from my wallet, that I work very hard for.
• Third, it’s dangerous. If a reactive person without self control did catch these teenagers red-handed, they may have been hurt.

My primary concern is that these teenagers could see nothing wrong with what they’ve done. I tutor some high school aged kids in Los Alamos on occasion, and based upon behavior I’ve observed, I’m concerned that being sorry for doing something morally wrong is confused with being “sorry” for getting caught. I hope their parents instill a sense of morality in them, before they become adults, and can’t use being a teenager as an excuse for committing petty crimes.