To Catch a Thief was "strong on sight and performance values" though it had "some plot weaknesses and is not as smooth in the unfolding as one might expect from an upper 'A' presentation." "Harrison's Reports" wrote, "Alfred Hitchcock has not endowed the action with as much suspense as one might expect in a picture produced and directed by him; nevertheless, its story of a one-time jewel robber who sets out to establish his innocence by catching a thief who was using his technique is tight and swiftly-paced, and constantly offers dramatic and comical developments." Richard L. Coe of "The Washington Post" called it
To Catch a Predator as undercover sting operations with the help of online watchdog group Perverted-Justice. Since the third installment, law enforcement and other officials were also involved, leading to the arrests of most individuals caught. No new episodes have aired since December 2015. NBC affiliates WTMJ in Milwaukee, KSHB in Kansas City and WBRE in Wilkes-Barre have also done local versions of "To Catch a Predator". Various spin-offs have aired in the same format, including "To Catch a Con Man", "To Catch an ID Thief", "To Catch a Car Thief" and "To Catch an i-Jacker", which featured iPod thieves. "To Catch a Predator"