If You See A Chalk ‘X’ Outside Your Montana Home, Watch Out!

As much as it pains us to say this: crime will never go away; it just won't. Despite the amazing work by our law enforcement or the work of hardworking parents who did their best to raise productive members of society - there will always be criminals looking to break the law for their own gain.

And according to law enforcement, they even have their own form of communication.

If You See A Chalk "X" or Box, Look Out!

Thankfully for us, we're in a relatively smaller community that looks out for one another and we're backed by Montana's finest law enforcement. But, that doesn't mean we should let our guard down, especially as Montana continues to welcome outsiders from other states... including California.

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According to a post from police, criminals in California have been communicating with one another by drawing either a chalk "X" or a box in front of people's homes. This has become common practice for criminals and is being used more and more across the country.

"These seemingly innocent chalk symbols are coded messages utilized by criminals to mark homes as potential targets," police say.

So, what's the difference between seeing an "X" or a "box" in chalk outside of your home?

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"An 'X' could mean the home is a good target for a burglary, and a box could indicate a home with a security system or a dog on the property," police said.

Now, it's absolutely possible that kids could be doing this as a prank, no one can be 100% sure but it's still a scary thought that this is even a thing.

The Silver Lining For Montanans

As of now, we haven't encountered any reports of this taking place in Montana towns but wouldn't you rather stay ahead of the game and be aware of these things in case they ever do reach our driveways... or sidewalks?

Stay safe and to the criminals out there: don't mess with Montana.