Symbols on doorstep IIIIX

[Localresident2016]

Hi all

Just wondered if anyone had seen any symbols on their doorstep recently. We have had markings drawn on our doorstep and suspect this is related to burglars assessing properties. I've made the police aware but would be interested to know of any other experience of this locally.

Many thanks all.

[sidebirds]

I've heard of this historically, but have never known of any current examples. Worrying. Can I ask what road you are on (or please give a nearby road)? Were the markings in chalk?

------------------------------------------------------

> Hi all

>

> Just wondered if anyone had seen any symbols on

> their doorstep recently. We have had markings

> drawn on our doorstep and suspect this is related

> to burglars assessing properties. I've made the

> police aware but would be interested to know of

> any other experience of this locally.

>

> Many thanks all.

[Guest]

anything like this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-35337747

[Penguin68]

If you are worried about markings, most likely children I would guess, rub them out. Urban myth has such markings as being related to burglars casing the joint, or to beggars (in some versions travellers) leaving messages about easy touches etc. As notes the most likely sign-makers (in the street) are those responsible for street and utility repair. Your doorstep would not be a chosen location for them.

[rendelharris]

As Penguin says, probably kids - why would burglars bother? Snopes put it pretty well:

Nearly all property crime is predicated upon the desire to enrich oneself or one?s interests with minimal effort, and an element missing from the belief that thieves pre-mark homes to rob is one that sufficiently explains where the added value in such a proposition lies. It?s possible to burgle a home without first essaying a legend detailing its contents and the temperament of its occupants, an unpleasant reality of day-to-day life that plays out with unfortunate frequency. As mentioned in one of our articles about a similar legend, gangs of criminals working together can simply jot down the addresses of their targets and share them by a variety of means; there is no benefit or advantage to risking exposure and foul-ups by physically marking homes.

[flocker spotter]

I doubt very much that crackhead burglars would be in any position to embrace and refine a dickensian system of gaff marking for the benefits of the thieving community. This is about the 20th time this issue has popped up on here BTW.

[Localresident2016]

Thank you all - appreciate your input. The doorstep is set well back from the road via a pathway so it's very unlikely to be related to street and utility repair. We're central East Dulwich and have interrupted burglars before (fairly recently), hence the heightened awareness of anything suspicious. I hope these markings were made by children playing, and I note the logic in what you're saying Rendelharris, and it does seem a strange thing to do to risk exposure but then the marking was pretty small and unobtrusive. The police say that they've not seen markings related to burglaries for a little while but they do have experience of this and there has been an increase in burglaries in the area.

If anyone does see any symbols, please notify the police.

Thanks.

[uncleglen]

Here are some more

http://www.countryliving.co.uk/homes-interiors/news/a2270/burglars-code-signs-break-in/

Also we noticed some small screwdriver type scratches and notches around our key hole on the front door- and it has been reported that sometimes the burglars will hang around at certain times of the day to see who is leaving houses....the only time we nearly got burgled was at school run in the afternoon when they broke the window glass but must have been disturbed

[Penguin68]

Also we noticed some small screwdriver type scratches and notches around our key hole

Now these are concerning.

[stringvest]

I have heard of this. A few years ago, they had a "fake queuer" in the post office who would swipe the pensioner with some chalk, so that when they left their accomplice outside could follow the cash. I would not have a front door with a large enough amount of glass that someone could smash it and gain entry, this was done many times in Nunhead not long ago.

[Pugwash]

Can the markings on doorstep be erased?

[Guest]

All of the 'burglar' symbols in your link are in fact utility company markings.

The symbol that the article translates as 'Occupant is afraid' actually means 'manhole cover needs moving'.

'Vulnerable female' actually means 'We need to put a dropped kerb here'

'Good target' means 'Water pipe location'.

I don't know what symbols the OP has on his/her doorstep, but if it's any of the ones on that list it's not a burglar.

[flocker spotter]

Please don't ramp this up and make people worry - it is utter utter rubbish found in the mail or express

[Localresident2016]

The OP wasn't meant to alarm anyone but the police have asked us to check with our neighbours and certainly have experience of markings being used by burglars, so it's not an urban myth I'm afraid. Thanks Amy, it's not any of those symbols and sufficiently away from the road that it wouldn't be a utility marking.

[JohnL]

Localresident2016 Wrote:

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> The OP wasn't meant to alarm anyone but the police

> have asked us to check with our neighbours and

> certainly have experience of markings being used

> by burglars, so it's not an urban myth I'm afraid.

> Thanks Amy, it's not any of those symbols and

> sufficiently away from the road that it wouldn't

> be a utility marking.

why use the floor .. Why don't they just use something like a database. Mind you as a boy scout I did a lot of this in the games we used to play.

Here's some more road ones anyway

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26745534

[flocker spotter]

JohnL Wrote:

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>>

> why use the floor .. Why don't they just use

> something like a database. Mind you as a boy

> scout I did a lot of this in the games we used to

> play.

>

> Here's some more road ones anyway

>

> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26745534

Its rubbish, scaremongering rubbish. The same myth is used on dog breeding sites apparently to denote

if your gaff has been targeted for pet nappers. There is zero reason why in an age of mobile telephony and internetz that burglars would resort to any such fiendish tactic.

[binkylilyput]

Sounds like flocker spotter is more knowledgeable than the police that advised the OP and so best listen to their opinion and not the local law enforcers that have both an overview and in depth record of crime etc if I were you Localresident2016......

[flocker spotter]

common sense goes a long way on here.

Oh yes, and watch out for the man dressed as s clown giving out sweets outside schools

[JohnL]

binkylilyput Wrote:

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> Sounds like flocker spotter is more knowledgeable

> than the police that advised the OP and so best

> listen to their opinion and not the local law

> enforcers that have both an overview and in depth

> record of crime etc if I were you

> Localresident2016......

Police have to take things seriously .. it's the nature of their job as even the unlikely happens sometimes. But I'd say in the large majority of cases there's a simple explanation - it doesn't mean it's never happened though.

[Guest]

Hi there, my post was really to Uncle Glen and anyone else on this thread spreading that old internet rumour about perfectly benign utility company symbols. I don't mean to doubt that something worrying has appeared on your doorstep.

[Guest]

binkylilyput Wrote:

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> Sounds like flocker spotter is more knowledgeable

> than the police that advised the OP and so best

> listen to their opinion and not the local law

> enforcers that have both an overview and in depth

> record of crime etc if I were you

> Localresident2016......

a few years ago police in both Lanarkshire and West Yorkshire released warnings about a code of 'burgalar' symbols, prompting a flurry of responses from other police forces explaining that they are harmless, and what they actually mean. I think we can conclude that the police are not infallible on this one.

[Guest]

burglar.

[Guest]

Local Resident, might it be possible to know what the markings at your house look like, so that people can have a look about to check if anything similar has appeared near them? And to distinguish it from any of the marks telling us about the water mains!

[Loz]

I have it on good authority that they are put there by aliens, to mark out who would be a prime candidate for abduction for experiments on other planets.

I'm off to buy some tinfoil. I hear it makes a useful hat.

[Nicholas Spears]

flocker spotter Wrote:

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> Please don't ramp this up and make people worry -

> it is utter utter rubbish found in the mail or

> express

Or Guardian...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/03/burglars-code-chalk-marks-wall