Front Yard Tomatoes

Walking around the hood I’m noticing more folks growing tomatoes in their front yards. I’m wondering if it is a fluke? Are they accidental tomato plants grown from a stray tomato seed from a) a discarded sandwich or b) compost- those tomato seeds seem to survive compost?
Regardless I’m happy to see a part of the Shaw lawn going to food production. I haven’t had too many worries about growing things in the front yard. My concerns are:
1. Kids playing on the sidewalk will almost always throw a ball in your yard knocking over and possibly destroying plants.
2. G-dd-mned squirrels eating unripe fruit and leaving them 1/2 eaten on the step, or fence or high spot you can’t reach.
3. Newspaper delivery people aiming for plants.

I have gotten emails with concerns about front yard tomatoes getting stolen and attracting rats. I don’t know about rats, as I haven’t seen any evidence of them and I figure the fruit grows too high for them to reach and I collect all of it so none of it hits the ground. And the only ones who’ve stolen from me are the squirrels.