Adds PN statement
Theft cases from Sliema houses this year have almost equalled the number of break-ins for the whole of 2013, police figures show.
There were 29 reported burglaries from occupied dwellings in Sliema between January and June, contrasting with 33 cases last year.
The phenomenon of burglaries in Sliema seems to buck what appears to be a general downward trend in crime.
The Sunday Times of Malta reported last week that Sliema residents were concerned they were being targeted by thieves following a spate of reported thefts from homes.
When asked if the police are upping surveillance in the area, a spokesman said: “Proactive action is indeed being taken with more patrols, particularly on weekends by the Rapid Intervention Unit, the Criminal Investigation Department and district police.”
Meanwhile, the police are investigating reports of symbols scratched on house intercoms that raised the alarm for Sliema and St Julian’s residents over the weekend.
A photograph of an intercom in St Julian’s with a doodle that looks like a number six was posted on Facebook on Sunday, triggering a discussion about similar symbols used by criminals abroad to help other burglars know which homes to target.
When contacted, the person who posted the photo said he knew of similar cases in Sliema. He believes the people who made the mark drove off in a green van bearing the number plate CO2478AX, which the police told him was fake. He believes the registration is Bulgarian.
According to media reports abroad, the symbols in question indicate whether a house has already been burgled or is worth targeting. They could also indicate whether a woman lived alone, if the residents were easily alarmed or whether there was a dog.
It is similar to a system developed in the US during the 19th century by migratory workers, known as the hobo code. To cope with lifestyle uncertainties, vagabonds would leave a coded symbol in chalk or coal to give directions and warnings to others in the brotherhood.
PN's REACTION
The Nationalist Party’s home affairs spokesman, Jason Azzopardi, expressed concern at the news and said this was due to fewer police officers on the beat.
This was d the many due to transfers in the force in the past months, Dr Azzopardi said, adding that another reason was that district officers were no longer receiving training.
He noted that up to May last year, all officers, including the 900 district police, used to receive a minimum of eight hours of obligatory academic and physical training a month.
More details in Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.