Further to the message sent out on the 15th November 2013 (when this problem was reported in Balham and Tooting) the first sticker has been found in Schubert Road.
Please do check your letterboxes for this sticker and remove and report immediately to Schubert Road Neighbourhood Watch if found.
The council’s crime prevention team is warning residents of a sophisticated new scam being used by burglars to target homes in the borough.
There are growing concerns that burglars are using accomplices to identify vulnerable properties in the borough and then marking them out with discreet plastic stickers.
The scouts are fixing the small, virtually transparent stickers to people’s letterboxes.
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 a number of burglaries in the borough. 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 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 may be calling 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 near the letterbox. If they are stopped by the police they can claim to be innocently distributing marketing material for the locksmiths firm.
The council’s crime prevention spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: “There is growing evidence that some organised teams of burglars are using this method to target homes in south London.
“We are therefore urging local residents to keep a very close eye out for these stickers and if they find one to remove it straight away and report it to the police.
“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 victims to thieves and burglars.”
Please report any such labels found at you home address to Police : Please phone 101 and ask to speak to your Neighbourhood Policing Team.
