Strange markings on front doors suddenly appeared, presumably left by gangs of thieves.

Eight out of every 10 thefts in Malta are from empty households, according to crime statistics compiled by the EU.

Some 13,000 thefts were recorded by the police between 2002 and 2012, with nearly 10,000 targeting domestic residences. The vast majority of these occurred when the homes were empty, classifying them as burglaries.

In the following two years – 2013 and 2014 – there was a spike in concerns over domestic break-ins. Last year, Times of Malta reported that Sliema residents were worried that their locality was being targeted by thieves following a spate of break-ins in the area. In fact, the number of reports of break-ins in the area in the first six months of 2014 equalled that for the whole island in an entire year.

Residents’ fears were amplified by the sudden appearance of strange markings on front doors, presumably left by gangs of thieves. The markings were later revealed to be coded messages by professional burglars and this led the police to step up patrols in the area.

According to the EU data, an average of 650 burglaries were recorded every year during the 10-year window. A major spike was noted in 2005, with 1,113 homes being burgled but the figures subsequently simmered down to about 600.

The data also shows there were 3,365 violent crimes and 46 murders in the decade under review. On the positive side, the data indicates a slight but steady decline in crime, down from 18,000 reports at the start of the period to about 15,000 by the end of 2012.

Still, the prison population doubled to nearly 600 from 285.

On average, about 80 per cent of those arraigned are given a prison sentence, more than half being suspended.

As the prison population grew, so too did the number of inmates registered for probation, up by more than 50 per cent over the 10-year period, reaching some 380 by 2012. The majority of these had been found guilty of theft.