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Red marking outside house
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mrwandle


Posts: 73
Joined: Sep 2011
Post: #1
17-07-2016 09:17 PM

Has anyone noticed any odd markings outside their house? We had a strange red small dot sprayed on our fence, it couldn't really be called graffiti. I then noticed a neighbouring property has a white chalk circle on a fence post. Are symbols left by burglars old wives tales? Or is it someone leaving markers where Pokemon are hiding to help fellow players?! Weirder things have happened. I'm probably being paranoid but have removed both to be on the safe side.

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CarlyWarly


Posts: 7
Joined: Jul 2016
Post: #2
18-07-2016 03:54 PM

Oh no. When I live in SW London they did this to mark if you were in or not for burglary. Sorry to alarm you but I'd let the police know ASAP. Which road are you on? I'll look out for them on mine.

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robin orton


Posts: 716
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #3
18-07-2016 06:33 PM

Aliens from outer space seems to me to be the most likely explanation.

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longtimegone


Posts: 1
Joined: May 2015
Post: #4
18-07-2016 09:26 PM

romany/gipsy/traveller markings.
This code system was well known when I was a lad,seems to have made a comeback.

I used parts of it myself, for other than dishonest purposes.

Tell the police, [who'll do nothing] and double check all your locks and keep valuables safe.
Keep eyes peeled, wits sharp, trust no callers at the door.

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Poppet2


Posts: 59
Joined: Oct 2013
Post: #5
18-07-2016 10:22 PM

It makes me mad when leaflet distributers leave leaflets hanging half way through the letter box. This is a gift to burglars that you are out all day.
What do they think a post box is for?

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mrwandle


Posts: 73
Joined: Sep 2011
Post: #6
19-07-2016 08:29 AM

Thanks. I'm on Garthorne Rd. Had a walk around locally and couldn't see and more but these were pretty discrete. I'll let the Police know, for what's it's worth.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #7
19-07-2016 02:59 PM

It's probably something to do with the water board, telephones or gas and the position of pipes etc.

There is a story about chaco marking for burglars, but it keeps cropping up when papers have nothing interesting to print, none mention paint markings.

Sometimes they reinterpret the articles with the same markings and make it about 'dognappings'. In one paper they asked various ex burglars and they said that there was no 'burglars association' and they didn't work like that.

Look at the pavement around or lampposts to see if there are other markings. That may give you your answer (and peace of mind) or see if there is any graffiti around in the same colour and it was just someone testing their can or cleaning the nozzle.

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longtimegone


Posts: 1
Joined: May 2015
Post: #8
19-07-2016 04:51 PM

Really, sydenham central?

There was a spate of it in my part of the world late last year, very rural and lots of travelling types come through in spates.

When I was a boy scout in the 50s we'd use gate markings,but not for thieving.

Quote:
. In one paper they asked various ex burglars.....

did you burgle that drum tosh? not me guv.

Utilities use coded colours, blue, yellow, white, purple from those big marker cans for each specific utility. Never do they chalk on gate posts, in fact hey are not allowed to mark on private property such as gate posts, just road surfaces.
They mark the entrance to your house on the pavement if they need to.

Better safe than sorry mrwandle, be vigilant. Never answer the front door and leave the back door unlocked. Never trust anyone claiming to be from some organisation with out checkable ID.

Of course if you subscribe to the mantra " its only a minority" just don't bother.

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oryx


Posts: 205
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #9
19-07-2016 08:29 PM

I seem to remember this was in the news a few months ago (maybe a quiet period - remember those? Sad ) and the idea of 'burglar markings' was discredited and was found to be just signs by utility companies.

Having done a quick search I can't find it, though!

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robin orton


Posts: 716
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #10
20-07-2016 06:58 AM

I shall believe this story when I see good evidence that some burglar has actually used this system (and can explain its rationale) and that some householder has actually fallen a victim to it.

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Perryman


Posts: 820
Joined: Dec 2006
Post: #11
20-07-2016 12:20 PM

It is the first born in the houses without markings, who should be concerned. #AngelOfDeath

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Erekose


Posts: 557
Joined: May 2010
Post: #12
20-07-2016 12:31 PM

Yes I'm with Robin on this. It occurs to me that it would be a very strangely altruistic burglar who helped other burglars who were 'stuck' for a property to break into.

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longtimegone


Posts: 1
Joined: May 2015
Post: #13
20-07-2016 12:33 PM

Quote:
I shall believe this story when I see good evidence that some burglar has actually used this system (and can explain its rationale) and that some householder has actually fallen a victim to it.


It was mostly used by tramps gypsies and other opportunists not always for the purposes of thieving but to denote say, a house with someone good for food, or money or maybe clothes, or that the dog was to be avoided.

It was taken up or revived by Irish travellers for their nefarious purposes.
It existall over europe, I suspect this recent crop is more likely summer visitors from Romania.

Instead of debating or denying the obvious on here why not contact the Utility sevices direct and ask them?

There are naive folk around that would still deny the obvious if they came home to a burgled house with, " come on boyo a mug lives here, new TV and mobile, cash money and credit cards all round kept in tin in kitchen" spray painted in bright pink aerosol on their door.

Quote:
It occurs to me that it would be a very strangely altruistic burglar who helped other burglars who were 'stuck' for a property to break into.


You don't get it do you?

It's not the burglar doing the marking its his spotter. His mate might be round later, a day later or a week who knows.

Best defence is to erase these marks whenever you see them.

We had a spate of thefts, ride-on, quad bikes, horse tack etc from back gardens and sheds round here some few years back, the spotter was in one of those micro lights.

This post was last modified: 20-07-2016 12:42 PM by longtimegone.

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #14
20-07-2016 04:34 PM

My grandmother had a tenant who was one of these spotters.
They were a higher class of burglar. The spotter posed as an artist doing landscape painting and noted details of when the house was empty for the burglar. That's what the detective who came to arrest him told us.

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Codrington Brill


Posts: 67
Joined: Mar 2012
Post: #15
20-07-2016 09:34 PM

A Detective Constable, I assume?

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Erekose


Posts: 557
Joined: May 2010
Post: #16
21-07-2016 12:07 PM

Ho.ho Mr Brill.
So I keep an eye out for odd folk wandering around looking for small red dots left by other odd folk? In case they forget which houses they think are worth burgling? Sounds too much like an urban myth to me but I will ask our local neighbourhood special constable for her view next time I see her.

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