CHAPIN, SC (WIS) -
Suspicious activity in Chapin has sheriff's investigators issuing a warning to neighborhoods and neighborhood watch groups.
A white van has been involved in several of those incidents.
While there's been no crime yet, investigators urge residents to be vigilant and careful about who's at your door.
One of those incidents occurred along Old Lexington Highway.
"If you didn't order anything, if nobody told you they're shipping something to you, you should not open the door," said Sgt. Tony Ayers with the Lexington County Sheriff's Office.
That's exactly what one woman did when a suspicious white van pulled up outside her home. When the man at the door said he had a package, she told him to leave it. He walked away without a package and without leaving one at the door.
We don't know if the van was up to no good or had a legitimate reason for being there," said Ayers. "But call us any time there's something in your neighborhood that out of the ordinary.
The other incident occurred on the other side of Chapin on Amicks Ferry Road in the Timberlake Community. Again, a white van returned twice to a neighbor's driveway, then left.
Neighbors along Old Lexington Road say they're cautious especially with a lot of work being done in the neighborhood.
"Well you kind of watch because you don't know what these crews are," said resident Robert Ockerman. "You kind of watch, you know."
Investigators recommend going to the door with your cell phone.
"Already have it in your hand, ready to dial," said Ayers.
Or have your home alarm key fob handy. It's about knowing your neighbors and recognizing something out of the ordinary.
"I wave at everybody," said Ockerman. "I know just about what everybody drives."
"Where we have active neighborhood watches, where they're meeting four times a year, we have lower crime."
Deputies say you're never bothering them if you report suspicious activity in your neighborhood. They encourage you to make that call to police because that could be the one piece of the puzzle they need to solve a crime.
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