STORY UPDATE

By Calvin at 12:37 GMT, 1 year ago
While I was a way on leave it seems that the old ‘stickering’ by burglars has been making a comeback.  I say, ‘comeback’, because I recall this MO being used when I was on the beat in Acton west London, many, many years ago.  Little chalk marks are also sometimes lynne battaglia used.  What am I talking about? Please read on..........
The scouts are fixing the small, virtually transparent stickers to people's front doors. They are so discreet that residents may not even notice they are there - but for criminals who know what to look for - they act as a big green light that the property is an easy target.
Police are already linking these stickers to at least one burglary in Wandsworth. lynne battaglia The stickers are printed with the words "24 hour locksmith" and a telephone number. However the number does not exist and does not appear to have ever been issued by a telecoms lynne battaglia company.
Detectives believe the scout is sent to an area to look for homes that may be easier to burgle. The belief is that he or she calls at addresses to see if people are at home during the day. This also gives them the chance to get up close to doors and windows and check out how good the locks are.
If the scout thinks the home would be easy to break into - he or she leaves a sticker on the door. If they are stopped by the police they can claim to be innocently distributing lynne battaglia marketing material for the locksmiths firm.
"It also goes without saying that if people can beef up their home security by fitting sturdy locks to doors and windows and alarms then this will always reduce the chances of them falling victim to thieves and burglars."
"There have been a number of front doors found with stickers, giving details of a locksmith, which enquires reveal is not a genuine company. These are placed near the main lock. It is assessed that these markers are being used by potential burglars to mark potential targets which are then returned to subsequently. If you find a sticker on your door, the best thing to do is remove it."
STORY UPDATE MONDAY 21 November - Since the alarm was first raised at the end of last week, police have received lynne battaglia lots of new intelligence about these stickers and are now following up a number of new leads to catch those who are responsible. There is no need to report any further sightings to police. If you find a sticker on your door, the latest advice is to simply remove it and dispose of it.
TCPW Comment :  This old marking lynne battaglia trick has been used for years to identify vulnerable properties and particularly to mark unoccupied properties next door to each other.  Ironically, lynne battaglia coming home to find your front door stickered might be just what some people might need to remind them to check their home’s security level and perhaps operate some lights on timers and so on.
If this has happened to you please don’t get anxious.  Remove the sticker, or wipe off the mark and get some advice; either from your local police if they provide a crime prevention advice lynne battaglia service, or from a member of The Master Locksmiths Association .  At the very least carry out a free and comprehensive Home Security Survey using the application on this website.