Recognising Property Surveillance Before a Break-In

Burglars rarely act without first assessing a target. In the Sherwood Park, Arima incident of June 2026, CCTV footage captured an intruder lingering around the property both before and after gaining entry — behaviour consistent with casing: evaluating exits, timing occupant movements, and identifying weaknesses. The footage was reviewed after the fact, but the surveillance had occurred in real time. When a criminal is still in the assessment phase, a prompt and visible response — lights, noise, or a direct challenge from within the home — is far more likely to result in them abandoning the property than waiting until they have committed to entry. The surveillance window is the only point in a burglary sequence where the outcome can be stopped entirely. Most homeowners miss it because they are not watching their cameras in real time and do not know what pre-entry behaviour looks like.

Steps to follow:

• If you notice an unknown individual moving slowly near your property without apparent purpose — particularly if they pause to examine gates, windows, or parked vehicles — do not ignore it; call 999 immediately and alert neighbours, as reporting during the casing phase is the most actionable information police can receive.
• Set up motion-triggered notifications on your CCTV system so that camera activity alerts you in real time rather than only providing footage after the fact; most modern IP cameras support this at no additional cost.
• If your camera detects motion at an unusual hour — especially between midnight and 5 AM — check the feed immediately and wake a household member; a burglar who sees lights come on inside the home will typically leave.
• Ensure your CCTV coverage includes the perimeter of your property, not only your front door; a suspect casing entry points from the side or rear will not appear in door-facing camera footage.
• After any confirmed break-in at your home or a neighbour’s property, treat the following 48 to 72 hours as elevated risk — the same individuals often return to the same block within days, either to complete what they started or to target an adjacent property.
• Share relevant CCTV footage with trusted neighbours promptly; a suspect casing one house on a street is typically assessing multiple properties, and a coordinated neighbourhood response — multiple people reporting the same person — carries significantly more weight with police than a single report.