What to Do When There Are Suspicious People Around

The arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. on July 16, 2009, caused uproar all over the world, especially among the African American communities. Not only was he a good friend of Barack Obama, but he was also a Harvard professor.

He was questioned and arrested right at his own home in Cambridge after a neighbor called 911, thinking that Gates was a burglar when, in fact, he was just struggling to open a property.

It was definitely a huge mistake, but the truth is with the rate things are going in our environment, you can never really be too sure. It is everyone’s responsibility to be more mindful of neighbors and strangers. Most importantly, everyone should always keep oneself alert when there are suspicious people around.

When you happen to encounter people who may not be familiar to you, who always take a look at your property or linger at your yard, or who constantly nag you at your own home, you may want to take the following steps:

Ask for identification. Normally, most of the unknown people who will knock on your door will be salespersons. There are actually two kinds of them: volunteers who are asking for donations and marketing individuals.

The former group should be able to provide you with a solicitation letter, complete with the heading of the non-profit organization and the signature of their head. Make sure that it has a telephone number, which you can call for verification.

On the other hand, salespersons should carry not only identification cards but also city business license, allowing them to sell goods in the area. You may also want to keep tabs on the community’s rule regarding salespersons. For instance, in Salinas, California, no marketing person is allowed to sell after 9 in the evening.

Add surveillance cameras. Do not worry about getting sued for invasion of privacy, as long as the cameras are installed within your property and are capturing or recording images that are happening in your home and on your yard. You can make use of covert cameras, but sometimes it is also advisable to install dome cameras, those that are obvious to the naked eyes. This way, intruders will take a step back if they are thinking of committing a crime. You can install wireless surveillance equipment if you do not want your system to be cut or deliberately damaged.

Observe. If someone is lurking within your property, you may want to observe first before taking a drastic action. If he or she happens to be around more frequently, you may want to come out of your home, introduce yourself, and ask the person what he or she wants. Do this, though, only when there are quite a number of people outside too.

Take note of plate numbers, physical descriptions of individuals, and other pertinent details.

Have the emergency numbers ready. If you feel that you have been harassed, threatened, or intimidated by the suspicious individual, do not hesitate to dial 911. You can also have it in speed dial, so you can immediately make a call through your mobile phone.