Police urge residents to stay alert after online reports of suspicious behavior

By Jazmine Knight

After two women shared stories on social media about being followed in St. Joseph grocery stores, local police are encouraging community members to stay alert and trust their gut if they feel unsafe.

In a Facebook post, one woman described how she was allegedly followed by a man and woman throughout the store. While the pair tried to make it seem like they weren’t working together, when the woman tried to change aisles to avoid the two, they still followed. She also saw the man recording her with his phone. Once the woman reached the checkout after being in the store for at least 30 minutes, the pair followed her, only checking out one item. Frightened and concerned, she swiftly alerted staff to escort her to her car.

In a separate incident at another grocery store, a woman detailed on social media that a man was reportedly staring at her as she checked out her items. Once she reached the parking lot, she tried to put her child and groceries in her vehicle. Meanwhile, the man followed her. He stood just across from her in the parking lot and recorded. As she was getting in the car, the man started to approach her, then leaned right next to the cart corral, in the parking space next to her vehicle. As the woman drove off, he turned and stared.

Both of these situations gained traction on Facebook, sparking discussion about the importance of women staying aware of their surroundings.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department said there’s “not a perceived danger” but advises the same thing.

When it comes to investigating these cases, Wilson said officers are reaching out to the companies to retrieve surveillance footage.

“So we can possibly identify what the situation was, what the surrounding situations were and possibly who was involved in what was going on,” he said.

When asked about human trafficking, Wilson said there is “no indication of that.” He suggested a number of reasons behind this situation.

“There’s a lot of different things that it possibly could be,” Wilson said. “It could range from somebody that has ill intent, or possibly, and hopefully, somebody that, I’ve seen situations where people are actually just practicing videography or photography or things along those lines.”

Regardless, men and women should still be alert.

“Always carry your cell phone, always make sure it’s accessible to where you can quickly dial 911 or or dial somebody for help,” he said. “Make sure that when you park your car, you attempt to park it in areas that are safe, well-lit.”

Wilson expressed his disappointment about these two situations and applauded the women for trusting their intuition and acting fast. If you do find yourself in this situation, you can try what one of the women did: Contact staff to escort you to safety.

“I think their next step for her is to be confident that she did the right thing and that there are people there that helped her out and ensured injury or safety,” he said. “The next step for anybody else that doesn’t feel safe is to contact us, let us know what the situation is.”

Another suggestion to stay safe would be to travel in groups. Wilson said there’s safety in numbers.

“Four eyes is better than two eyes at any given time,” Wilson said.

And it’s not just women that should be prepared. Men also need to stay alert as well.

“Unfortunately, anybody can fall victim to a crime. So I think that everybody needs to be aware of their surroundings and make sure that they have the appropriate measures to make themselves safe,” Wilson said.

“I’m not talking about taking the law into your own hands. I’m talking about making yourself safe. Retreat if you have to. Get to a location, know that I can run to here if something happens to me, things along those lines,” he continued.

He assured that police do heavy research about the community to ensure its safety.

“They pay attention in those locations to make sure that those things aren’t happening here. So I think that’s definitely a benefit to us and they’ll continue those actions,” he said.

News-Press NOW contacted the two stores at which the incidents reportedly occurred, however both declined to comment. News-Press NOW also reached out to the women who shared their stories online but did not immediately receive a response.