When Eliza Webb found a stranger’s cellphone inside her ransacked car last month, it didn’t take a lot of sleuthing to determine two things: one, the cellphone probably belonged to the person who’d prowled her car; and two, the culprit was likely a teen.

Webb, who works with high-school students and is married to a man who has paid dearly for a youthful indiscretion, paused before summoning police.

“I think bringing the police and courts into something like this can have long-term, devastating consequences for kids,” said Webb, 29, of West Seattle.

“I wanted to meet him, talk to his parents and see if there might be another way. I felt that if I could get him to own up to what he’d done and understand there were consequences, it could be a much better outcome.”

What Webb ended up doing — taking the 19-year-old and a cohort door-to-door through her neighborhood to apologize and return items they’d stolen from 13 unlocked cars — ended up making a lasting impression not only on the boys and their families, but also on many of her neighbors.Seattle Times, Full story.

What do you think of Webb's unusual approach? Is this something you'd consider?

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