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us Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
someone appears to be lurking or moving suspiciously outside your home

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Stay inside, move away from exposed doors and windows, lock accessible entry points, and keep your phone with you. Call 911 if the person is trying to enter, threatening anyone, displaying a weapon, or you otherwise believe immediate assistance is needed.

Do not do these things

  • Avoid going outside or opening the door to investigate.
  • Do not approach, follow, challenge, or threaten the person.
  • Avoid standing visibly at a window to watch or record them.
  • Do not speak through the door or a camera speaker if doing so could draw attention to you or escalate the situation.
  • Do not rely on social media or a neighborhood group instead of contacting 911 when danger appears immediate.
  • Do not go outside to inspect damage or collect evidence while the person may still be nearby.
  • Do not guess the person’s identity or motive when reporting what happened.

What to do now

  1. Move yourself and anyone else in the home to a safer interior position away from exposed doors and windows. Take your phone and keys with you.
  2. Lock exterior doors and accessible windows when you can do so without moving into the person’s view or closer to them. Do not open an entry point to check whether they are still outside.
  3. Call 911 if the person tries to enter, threatens anyone, displays a weapon, damages an entry point, or you believe the situation requires immediate police assistance. Give the call-taker your exact location, describe what you can observe, answer their questions, and follow their instructions. Do not hang up until told to do so.
  4. If there is no immediate danger, use the published non-emergency phone number or reporting route for the local law enforcement agency, if available. Report observable behavior, such as checking doors, hiding, repeatedly circling the home, or looking through windows, rather than assuming criminal intent.
  5. Observe only from a protected position or through an existing exterior camera. Note the time, appearance, behavior, vehicle description, and direction of travel only when these details are visible without exposing yourself.
  6. Save any existing doorbell-camera or security-camera footage. Do not go outside or move closer to obtain additional images.
  7. If the person leaves, remain inside and do not follow them. Tell the 911 call-taker or local agency when they left and which direction they went.

What can wait

You do not need to identify the person, decide whether a crime occurred, inspect the outside of your home, contact every neighbor, post footage online, or make long-term security changes now. Those decisions can wait until the immediate situation has ended and it is safe to review what happened.

Important reassurance

You do not need to be certain about the person’s intentions before taking reasonable safety precautions or reporting concerning behavior. Describe what you can actually see and let the 911 call-taker or local law enforcement agency assess the response.

Scope note

This guide covers only the first safe actions and immediate reporting options. Repeated appearances, threats, targeted surveillance, unwanted contact, or an ongoing pattern may require support from a victim advocate, local law enforcement, a security professional, or a lawyer.

Important note

This is general safety information, not legal advice or professional security advice. Emergency and non-emergency reporting procedures vary by location, so follow instructions from 911 call-takers and your local law enforcement agency.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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