Facilitator for Rosebank Union Church meetings, Annie Conway told attendees most criminals cased an area until they were familiar with the homes, and the people who live and work there.
They place signs by the houses to inform fellow criminals what risks they face at each home. They then move onto the next suburb. She said, “Not all involved do the actual crime, some are just used to create the signs to see whether there is something of value, and to warn others of what to expect if they choose a property.”
Crime signs change according to the criminal syndicate and areas.
Conway suggested that homeowners should always remove anything unusual outside a property.
“If there is a pile of stones on the driveway, make sure to destroy it,” said Conway.
“Don’t trust people lingering around your property,” she added.
The letter ‘Z’ painted at a stop sign means that many houses are being targeted in that street. A heap of small stones in front of a house means there are dogs. Two large stones placed next to each other indicates two old people live there, and a few stones in a row indicate the number of people in the house.
Conway told domestic workers and gardeners to watch out for other signs too. If there are footprints at a gate, it shows that someone stays there. She said criminals often phone people’s home numbers to check if someone is there. She also told the group to be aware when there is a power outage. Criminals cut the power switch at the main power box outside and wait for someone to switch it back on while they slip in.
In order to prevent crime, Conway concluded that suspicious signs outside of homes should be reported.
Have you noticed any suspicious signs in your neighbourhood? Take a photo or let us know!
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