casing the joint
Scouting a target
Casing the joint is criminal slang for surveying a location before robbing it—noting security measures, entry points, staff patterns, and escape routes.
The phrase has softened into general use for any preliminary scouting: Let's case the joint before we decide where to sit.
A joint is slang for an establishment; casing means enclosing in a case, here metaphorically sizing up.
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- alarm systemsDevices detecting unauthorized entry
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- heistOrganized large-scale theft
surveillance cameras · blind spot · robbery · reconnaissance · shadowing · locks · scouting · spying · guards · infiltration · larceny · floor plan · point of entry · patrols · trailing · motion detectors · monitoring · dead of night
case, casing, cases, cased, encase, encased, encasing, encasement, joint