Question of the Day: What Is A Suspicious Person?

If you saw somebody strolling down your street wearing a clerical collar and walking a poodle, you might not call the cops.

But you certainly would if he wore a mask and carried a pistol.

When it comes to defining a suspicious person, nothing is cut and dried. Circumstances have a lot to do with it.

It's become a national issue when neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman noticed a suspicious person and ended up fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.

That brought race (Martin was black, Zimmerman a white Hispanic) and  and clothing (Martin's hoodie) into the conversation.

It's a local question, too.

Back in January, Avondale Estates experienced a rash of home burglaries. The city called a community meeting so police could advise residents about when they should call 911 and how to figure out if a person was a suspicious person.

Essentially, the police said residents should pay attention to their instincts. They know what's normal in their neighborhood.

When in doubt, call 911, police said.

A more recent example: A friend emailed me Wednesday to describe "suspicious persons" she'd seen walking around her neighborhood in unincorporated DeKalb, between Avondale Estates and Winnona Park.

She called 911 but the people were gone when police arrived.

I thought she was overreacting because her house was burglarized last year. She emailed me Thursday to say three houses were broken into on Wednesday.

We don't know who did it, of course, but one thing is sure: I no longer think my friend was overreacting.

Patch readers, please give me some feedback on these questions:

• What triggered you to call 911 the last few times you did so?
  
• In your eyes, what makes a stranger in your neighborhood a suspicious person?