Reporting Suspicious Behavior – What is Suspicious Behavior?

This is Part 1 of a 5 part series on Reporting Suspicious Behavior. It’s from a flyer handed out by the police at the North Precinct Advisory Council.

What is Suspicious Behavior?

We can’t stress enough the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. Sometimes people may be reluctant to call 911 about behavior that they feel is suspicious because they don’t want to ‘burden’ the police with non-emergencies. Let us assure you that calling in activity or behavior that you feel is unusual or out of place is not a burden; it’s how we know what’s going on. We rely on you to tell us.

Sometimes, however, a person may not know what suspicious behavior looks like. Well, to identify what is suspicious behavior, you first have to know what’s ‘normal.’ The way you know what’s normal for your neighborhood is to interact with your neighbors and be engaged in your community. By knowing your neighbors and the routine activities, whether on the block you live or the areas where you work and do business, the better able you are to identify those things that seem suspicious. The more you know your neighbors on the block, which children live in the area, the better you are able to identify those suspicious people, vehicles, activities and behaviors.

If it’s suspicious to YOU, it’s worth talking with your neighbors about it and worth reporting it to 911. Examples include:

• Unusual noises, including screaming, sounds of fighting, glass breaking
• People in and/or around buildings or areas and who do not appear to be conducting legitimate business
• Unauthorized people in restricted areas
• People who follow immediately behind others into card-access areas or buildings while the door is open
• Vehicles driving slowly and aimlessly through neighborhoods, around schools or parking lots and, at night, without their lights on
• People sitting in vehicles for extended periods of time
• People peering into parked vehicles that are not their own
• People who change their behavior when they notice that they have been seen
• People dressed inappropriately for the weather occasion (i.e. heavy coat in warm weather)

Part 2 will be on reporting suspicious behavior.