Neighborhood Kids Trespassing/Harassing Dogs

Hello parents, I really need some advice! We’re young homeowners without kids, but planning to have a family soon, and we’ve lived in our neighborhood almost three years. We’ve never had any issues with this in the past, so I’m hoping once things settle down it will stop. Background: We have an inclined driveway that I know is tempting for a child to ride a bike up and down, but this pack of neighborhood kids (12 and under) has recently decided that their new favorite activity is to come onto our carport (which is basically attached to our kitchen and has zero privacy if you’re in the kitchen) or backyard, ring our Ring 50 times, scratch our cars with their handlebars, ride up and down the incline, bang on our windows, bang on our doors, and harass our two dogs. I’ve asked the kids several times to not come onto our carport or backyard and to please leave our dogs alone. The last time this happened, a window pane was broken by our frantic dog and cost a pretty penny to replace (all during an already hectic time working at home). We just recently lost a family member and have had some stressful family dynamics ongoing in the last few days when they decided to do it again. Admittedly...I was livid and lost my head, and after speaking to an attorney friend, I called the cops on them. They apparently live five or so houses down, and I’m not sure what to do now. Should I attempt to talk to the parents tomorrow now that I know where they live? We’ve waved from afar on walks in the past, they’re usually sitting outside smoking on their front porch, and they’ve been pleasant enough but still essentially strangers. I’m not sure if back tracking will make it worse, but I’m at my wit’s end with this. I feel like being essentially trapped in my house with children banging on our doors and windows is insane, right? A friend suggested I bring some baked goods and ask for a compromise with the parents. I just feel like it will make things worse? What to do...any advice is appreciated! And I already feel terrible for calling the cops, but my emotional state at this point is rock bottom, so please be kind. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/33LZD4x