Someone is hanging around my windows late at night… What should I do?

A couple of weeks ago, I saw someone with a flashlight creeping around my windows at night, but they took off when they saw me. Then today around 7:30 PM, someone knocked loudly on my kitchen window five times, paused, and knocked again. I thought it might be my mom who was outside earlier, but when I opened the door and called for her, I just heard footsteps running away (turns out she wasn’t even home). I didn’t call the police either time because it seemed too weird to be a burglar, but now it’s happened twice, and I’m wondering if this counts as harassment. Is it worth reporting to the police?

Call the police. That’s super sketchy. They aren’t just knocking to say hello.

Riley said:
Call the police. That’s super sketchy. They aren’t just knocking to say hello.

I hesitated because there are kids in my neighborhood who could be pulling pranks, but now I’m not sure. If it was kids, I feel like I would’ve heard them running when I opened the door.

@Pacey
If it’s kids, it’s better for them to get a talking to by the police than to have something dangerous happen. Call them for sure.

@Pacey
Let the police figure that out. It’s better to report it now before things escalate.

@Pacey
Kids need to understand how dangerous stuff like this is. People are not messing around anymore!

Definitely file a report. Even just starting a paper trail is smart. You should also think about getting motion-activated lights or sprinklers. Cameras wouldn’t hurt either. You want to be prepared in case this happens again. As for inside defense, I’ll let you decide what works best for you there.

@Tatum
The boldness of this person makes me think it’s more than just a robbery. I’ve heard that most burglars try to break in during the day when no one’s home.

SavannahCooper said:
@Tatum
The boldness of this person makes me think it’s more than just a robbery. I’ve heard that most burglars try to break in during the day when no one’s home.

It sounds to me like they might have the wrong house. Like OP lives at 58 Oak Tree Lane, and the drug dealer they’re looking for is at 85 Oak Tree Lane. Either way, anyone up to no good doesn’t want to deal with water from sprinklers. It could scare them off.

SavannahCooper said:
@Tatum
The boldness of this person makes me think it’s more than just a robbery. I’ve heard that most burglars try to break in during the day when no one’s home.

I might’ve been off on the time when I opened the door. It was so dark outside, I couldn’t see anything. I’ll definitely make a report to be safe.

@Pacey
Please don’t open the door again in situations like that.

Linden said:
@Pacey
Please don’t open the door again in situations like that.

I know… I thought it was my mom at first, but she wasn’t even home. Lesson learned!

@Tatum
I’ll make sure to report it tomorrow. Appreciate the advice!

Call the police. Get yourself a dog, some cameras, and maybe even learn some self-defense like Jiu Jitsu.

Joss said:
Call the police. Get yourself a dog, some cameras, and maybe even learn some self-defense like Jiu Jitsu.

Especially the last part!

Believe it or not, knocking is something burglars do to check if anyone’s home. If no one answers, they might break in. I didn’t answer once, and sure enough, someone broke in and started snooping around. It was terrifying. Be careful, you might be getting targeted.

Get some curtains.

I’d set up some cameras and motion lights. I doubt the police can do much unless they catch the person in the act, so it’s better if you have recordings.

If they’re trying to case your place, it’s better to make noise. Stomp around, make it known that you’re there. And, maybe, cock a shotgun and yell something like ‘Not today!’

Set a bear trap and cover it with some leaves. Then call the police when you hear the screams.

But seriously, someone’s clearly up to no good. Report them, or get their ass arrested. Although, I still think the bear trap would be funny as hell.