I spent the entire day in the back of my truck at Camp Bethel on Kirkpatrick Road (same place the smash and grab happened) the day before the break in. People were walking around on occation. Some walked down to look at the river and left. For all I know one or more of them could have been casing the cars parked there for valuables. Problem with your solution is these acts are random and happen quickly. Are you prepared for a confrontation? What if they are armed? If you simply call the cops as an eye witness to a break-in with a licence plate number of a fleeing vehicle what good is going to come from that? You might get someone's stuff back, but their rig will still be destroyed and the courts and jails are already full of these scumbags because the system seemingly favors crime. In the end you will have accomplished nothing form a deterrant standpoint.

To answer your question, NO. If I caught some POS breaking into a rig I would be unable to act in a law abiding fashion, so I would not choose put myself in that position on a regular basis. Give me a gun and a get-out-of-jail free card and I'll change my mind.