I've been looking at the "dog proof coon traps" as an appealing option. I'm not much with a gun and don't want to dispatch the critters, so I'd call our resident fur trapper, but it sounds like you have that covered. I bet any size shot would work at point blank range. Plus, you can look it in the eye as you put it down for the ultimate feeling of revenge.
Most of your neighbors would appreciate you removing them, but a few will not feel that way, so I'd keep it on the DL if I were trapping in the suburbs.