A woman from Queens, NY, found what looked like a phone buried in her front lawn, but it wasn’t just lost property.
Mary Kehoe, who’s lived in her Forest Hills home for 35 years, spotted the strange device outside. It looked like an Android phone wrapped in black tape, with only the camera exposed — like it was made to watch, not call.
“Why us? I had lots of things going through my head as to why they chose our lawn but realized we are in the middle of the block,” Kehoe told KTVZ 21.
Experts warn that these kinds of planted devices may be part of a growing tactic used by burglars to spy on homeowners, tracking their daily routines or scouting for valuables. And it’s not just an isolated case — similar incidents have popped up across the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut).
Here’s how to identify these devices and what to do if one shows up in your yard.
Not just paranoia
Discovering a hidden device on your lawn isn’t just unsettling — it’s a serious breach of privacy. And unfortunately, it’s happening more often.
Police say covert surveillance cases like this are turning up across the United States, including in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey. And the tools being used aren’t high-tech spy gadgets.
“It could be any type of camera that is digital and wireless. It could be cheap; it could be expensive,” Sergeant Vahe Abramyan of the Glendale Police Department told the Los Angeles Times. “You can go on Amazon or go to Best Buy to get one.”
That’s exactly what happened in Garden Grove, where a resident discovered a camera hidden in a neighbour’s bush — aimed directly at her home. According to KTLA, the neighbour initially thought it was trash, but inside the bag was a camera and battery pack.
Canadian burglary statistics
Within Canada, there has been a steady decrease in burglaries, or breaking and enterings, over a span of two decades. In 2003, there was an alarming 284,925 reported incidents, with tht figure drastically dropping to 130,748 in 2023, according to Statista.
Moreover, the number of burglaries reported in 2023 is a 1.92% dip from the previous year, or 2,563 incidents.
How burglaries can impact your wallet and assets
There are many ways burglaries can impact your financial health, whether in the present or distant future. Some of these instances include:
- Having to pay for home repairs, such as broken locks and/or windows, due to unlawful entry into a home
- Recovering lost valuables and cash
- Home value decreasing due to neighbourhood instances of breaking and entering
- Rising insurance premiums for theft-prone locations
Staying safe
With these surveillance tactics on the rise, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your neighborhood.
According to the Halton Regional Police, there are certain things you can do now to make sure that stop a burglary before it can even occur:
- Ensure that your residence and its surrounding area are well lit
- Trim any hedges so that your home is visible to neighbours and passerby
- Install audible alarms
- Install home security cameras on the exterior of your home and position them to ensure they capture images of anyone on your property
- Lock all vehicles and access doors to your home
- Park your vehicle in a locked garage
In Kehoe’s Forest Hills community, neighbours are banding together — keeping a closer eye on their lawns, shrubs and anything that seems out of place.
Police recommend trimming hedges to eliminate hiding spots, installing motion-detecting lights and staying alert for camouflaged devices that could be stashed in your yard. Burglars may also drive through a neighbourhood or pose as salespeople to scout homes and monitor routines.
If something seems off — even a strange light or an out-of-place item in your yard — don’t ignore it. Report it to your local authorities right away.
Sources
1. KTVZ 21: Suspected surveillance device found buried in Queens lawn puts neighbors on high alert (Jun 7, 2025)
2. CBS News: Suspected surveillance device found buried in Queens lawn puts neighbors on high alert, by Kristie Keleshian (Jun 6, 2025)
3. Los Angeles Times: Burglars are hiding cameras in Southern California yards: Tips for protecting yourself, by Nathan Solis (Jun 21, 2024)
4. Statista: Number of burglaries in Canada from 2002 to 2023 (Jan 23, 2025)
5. Halton Regional Police: Burglary Prevention
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
