Ever have a gut feeling that something is suspicious when you see a stranger walking around aimlessly or taking pictures of people or objects – like houses or cars? Those instincts should rarely be ignored. However, for those of you who aren’t quite sure about those nervous tummy jerks, here are a few tips on what suspicious behaviour looks like.
Suspicious Persons
- Wearing over-sized clothing, especially warm clothing in summer, is considered suspicious. The large clothing usually allows suspects to hide things that may have been stolen, hide tools that are used to pry open doors and windows, or hide weapons.
- Loitering is very suspicious and should raise questions about why people are hanging around an area with no reason to be there. Loitering around schools, parks or secluded areas should be reported to ensure the safety of kids within the vicinity.
- Anyone running along a road who is not actually wearing exercise gear is considered suspicious. They could be evading capture, or just trying to get far away from a crime scene.
Suspicious Activity
- Flashlight beams shining in a dark house are usually an indication of a break-in, especially if you know that the owners are away. Burglars usually avoid turning lights on, so they don’t draw attention to themselves.
- Sounds of shattering glass or loud banging noises are sounds that usually indicate breaking and entering. Burglars usually enter a property by breaking through a window or door.
- Other sounds that need to be taken into consideration are car or house alarms. If they are not quickly turned off, the likelihood of a break-in is high.
Suspicious vehicles
- Vehicle traffic to one specific address on a regular basis could indicate potential illicit activity such as drug trafficking or prostitution.
- When there are vehicles that slowly move through a community it could indicate human trafficking or potential burglars who are observing the behaviour of their target.
- Vehicles that frequently park outside a house or office building for an extended period of time are highly suspicious. This is a commonly practiced method that criminals use to observe potential targets.
- A vehicle roaming around a community at night, with its headlights off, is usually trying to remain undetected. This vehicle could be following someone so be cautious of these cars.
South Africa is currently experiencing a wave of crime that is executed in a much smarter way than in previous years. So, as much as we have ideas of how suspicious behaviour looks, it is really difficult to strictly define.
For instance, criminals have been pretending to be door-to-door salespeople or even claiming to be doing a survey. This makes them seem more trustworthy and many people allow these criminals into their homes. This allows them to survey the layout of the property, the security measures in place and the assets in the house.
Ultimately, suspicious activity should be reported to prevent potential crime. It may seem like a drastic step to take for a hunch, but report suspicious behaviour to SAPS or your private security company and let the professionals do the investigating. Residents just need to be alert and proactive in making communities a safer place to live in.