I set up a game camera on the front porch and caught the neighborhood girl herd doing it (there were about four 9-10 yr olds) thought nothing of it. I am sure that they were only doing it because they learned the actions from their older brothers.

Just in chatting, I mentioned to my next door neighbor that I had a camera on the front porch because I was getting 'doorbell ditched' and saw the little girls ringing the doorbell and running. I also mentioned that I am still going to keep coming to the door just in case one of my neighbors is really in trouble and needs help, whether the neighbor kids ring my doorbell or not, and that it was just an annoyance. I did it when I was a kid and its a lot better than throwing eggs. I am not looking to get anyone in trouble, and I am acually glad that kids are outside doing 'kid' things. I also mentioned that I actually thought it was the older boys in the neighborhood that were probably doing it and I would probably get them on film sooner or later. I also said, half joking, that I would have the pictures so that "IF" the doorbell ditching turned into any serious vandalism, I would have some suspects for the police to start chatting with in the future.

My neighbor and I are great friends. Always have been. I found it interesting that after the chat with him about me having photo evidence of whomever was doorbell ditching my home, I have never been doorbell ditched since. I wonder if he let his teenage sons understand that whomever was doing it was being recorded and warned them that even if they only doorbell ditched and someone else did something bigger, they might be blamed for it. I think that word must have gotten out to the neighborhood.

Letting people know that they are on tape definitely helped my problem.