Follow Home Robberies: An Essential Guide for Arriving Home Safely

Your home should always be a place of safety and comfort. And the right home security system brings an extra sense of calm in knowing you and your family are protected, whether you’re home or not. But practicing strong safety habits doesn’t start and end at your doorstep.

 

In recent years, the LAPD has warned of possible upticks in “follow home robberies,” in which victims of this type of crime are followed home or to their place of business and targeted for robbery.

 

Safety starts wherever you’re coming from, and should begin before, during, and after your journey home. Learn more about follow home robberies and some simple habits to better protect yourself from this type of crime.

What are Follow Home Robberies?

A follow home robbery is a crime in which an individual is stalked or followed from a public location to their home, where they are then robbed. It might occur when traveling back from high-end districts, stores, restaurants, or events.

 

In 2022, the LAPD investigated 328 follow-home robberies and made 122 connected arrests, with many follow-home robberies taking place in the Hollywood or Wilshire areas.

 

This type of robbery often targets individuals who may appear to be carrying valuables, such as shopping bags, electronics, fine jewelry, or cash. Some other common scenarios in which follow home robberies occur include:

• After shopping – think high-end retail stores, jewelry shops, or crowded malls.
• Leaving an upscale dining experience.
• Cash-based businesses like casinos.
• Social events or gathering places like parties, bars, and clubs.
• After ATM withdrawals.

Always remember to stay vigilant of your surroundings and any potential followers when driving home or entering and exiting your vehicle.

Before Getting in Your Vehicle

Often, simply staying aware of your surroundings goes a long way in protecting yourself. When heading back to your car, always have your keys ready before reaching your vehicle.

 

Situational awareness in public spaces also includes:

• Staying mindful of any individuals in your proximity when leaving stores, restaurants, or any of the potentially targeted spaces listed above.
• Keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals or groups who mirror your movements in parking lots or enter their vehicles at the same time as you.
• If in a crowded parking lot, stay mindful of any would-be robbers lying or hiding between parked cars.

You don’t need to carry extreme fears or anxieties every time you leave the house. Situational awareness can be as simple as practicing classic “stranger danger” habits to better protect yourself.

Protect Yourself While Driving Home

Once you’re driving and on your way home, simply staying present can help prevent a potential crime. So avoid distractions like your phone, which you shouldn’t use while driving anyways!

 

You might also break routines by occasionally taking different routes home. Should you think another vehicle is following you, take a few different turns to see if it is the same vehicle behind you throughout your journey home.

 

As you arrive in your neighborhood, keep a close watch for any groups or individuals loitering or any suspicious vehicles sitting idly.

Before Pulling into Your Driveway

When you finally arrive home, it’s still not time to let your guard fully down. If you installed any surveillance cameras or a doorbell camera, check for any push notifications of activity before pulling into your driveway. And if another vehicle is behind you, pull over on the street. In either case, should there be nefarious activity happening, you don’t want to be blocked in your driveway.

 

Finally, take a quick scan of the front of your residence to ensure no one is hiding. And never remotely unlock your front door until you’re absolutely sure it’s safe to do so.

What to Do if You Suspect You’re Being Followed

If you do find yourself in a situation where you suspect you’re being followed, do not stop driving, and do not head straight for home. Instead, drive to a safe location like a police station or another crowded, public space.

 

Call for help if necessary, and provide as much details to police about the make and model of the suspicious vehicle. If more than one member of your family regularly drives, take the time to talk through emergency plans. Set up emergency contacts, meeting places and general protocols with your family.

Additional Security Recommendations

It never hurts to strengthen your security touch points at your home’s exterior to help ward off follow home robberies. You might consider additional lighting for your driveway and all entry points to eliminate potential hiding places. And for an added layer of security, perimeter security measures like additional cameras and sensors can alert you of any unusual activity on your property.

 

Finally, there’s always strength in numbers. Avoid traveling alone if possible, and connect with your neighbors and community. Stay involved with any neighborhood watch programs and pay attention to community notifications that might affect you.

 

And for all Post Patrol subscribers, officers are regularly active in your neighborhood and available to escort residents safely inside their homes.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

Living with fear every time you leave the house is not sustainable. But taking a few simple mental notes when you are out and about can ensure you always make it home safe and sound. And for better protection for your home and family, there’s Post Alarm.

 

We’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

 

Our family founded Post Alarm on a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

 

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!