'The Blank Box' Scares Away Potential Front Porch Package Thieves

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Have you ever had a package stolen off your front porch? Well, there's finally a solution to help make sure it never happens to you again.

Jaireme Barrow of Washington was tired of having his delivered packages stolen off his front porch so he decided to come up with a device to prevent this from happening. That solution is known as "The Blank Box" and so far it's working out very well.

The product is a simple contraction that scares away any potential thief. The Blank Box consists of a blank shotgun shell and fishing wire, and when a person tries to grab the box, the blank shotgun shell goes off making a loud noise. That noise has proven to scare away potential thieves, sending many running from the scene.

"I got tired of all my packages coming up missing," Barrow, who is the official inventor of The Blank Box, said in an interview showcasing the contraption. "I'd be at work, then I'd come home and they wouldn't be on my front porch. I'd watch my surveillance (video) and see someone running away with them."

The Blank Box started as a protection device for Barrow's own packages, but has since picked up so much traction that he is making them for others. The products are handmade by Barrow and built with "tough love."

"I wanted a way to scare them safely," Barrow said. "When you scare them hopefully they are going to drop the package, run away and never come back. It's just like any alarm system. It's just a loud noise to deter theft, but it just happens to be a 12 gauge shotgun blank in this case."

Those interested in getting their own Blank Box can visit theblankbox.com. The website lists the "single shot" product at $59.99 and the "double shot" at $84.99. However, due to high-demand during the holiday season the website says it'll be three-five weeks before you can get a hold of your own Blank Box.