Sticks propped against doors

[sandytown]

Hello...thank you in advance for your time and advice.

I am currently separated from my husband - I primarily stay in a different apartment by myself. However I still have much of my stuff and a lease with him at the apartment he is staying in. We are not sure where our road is going to lead and are both going to counseling and trying to heal from the big mess of a marriage we ended up with. Strangely, however, we are still friends and do not hate each other or anything of that sort. We have our moments of fighting, but are civil.

So, as a result, I invited him along for our family Christmas breakfast out of town. He then took a greyhound bus back home. He wrote to me later that day and said that when he arrived home that evening, there was a stick propped up against the front door. He thought it was odd but didn't really think much of it and went in and went to bed. In the morning he went to let the cat out and the same exact size and type of stick was propped up against the back door as well. It startled him and he didn't know what to make of it.

I find it very alarming and wondered if this is some sort of common practice for burglars to try and determine if someone is home or not? We live in a row of condominiums with neighbors on both sides in a heavily populated residential neighborhood.

My secondary concern is that while we were separated I began seeing a man who knows both my husband and I. We have since put a stop to that relationship. The primary reason for this being that, I discovered him going through my phone and emails. He was upset that I still would see my husband or talk to him. I told the man that we should not even entertain the idea of being together until things are finalized with a divorce since it was obviously too difficult for him to deal with my still having to have some relations with my husband. He was upset by this of course. He has been seen driving by my husband's apartment and has "called me out" on being over there on another occasion. Though slightly out there --- and I consider him to be harmless --- I am wondering if perhaps he did this.

I guess my primary question is --- in what types of cases have you seen such a thing? We live near downtown in a higher end metropolis area but there have been burglaries / thefts in the area (mostly out of cars). And secondly - is this something we should try to get a record of (file a police report) in case something should arise in the future?

I tried to look online under "propped up sticks on doors" or "burglary tactics" to see what kinds of things might have been said but am having the darndest time finding anything.

Thank you so much for your services to our communities and especially for your help with this question.

[retdetsgt]

Never heard of it.... I doubt it's burglars, it's too obvious. Probably a goofy neighbor of his or something.

[icu650]

A stick on a door or a match stick balanced on a door frame or a penny precariously leaning on an object are all ways to see if there has been movement in and around the area of concern. In this case the front and back doors. The problem here is why does a person want to know if he is using both front and back doors. These sticks, if being watched sporadically, can also give a time estimate of movement. If it wasn't just a neighbor fooling around it may be someone attempting to narrow down the in and out movements of your husband. IE; what time does he let the cat out and by which door. The cat is going out the back so the front is uncovered. I do agree, however, that the stick is a bit obvious but it would be easier to see from a distance if it was moved or fell down.