The Jandarma attended the recent Ovacik Residents Association (ORA). They had been invited by the Committee last year following a series of burglaries in the area that had raised concern amongst residents.

They began with the good news that so far this year 22 people have been caught, sentenced and are serving prison sentences for burglary. Compared to 2006 there has been a decrease of 17% in reported burglary. However, they reported that there is now a growing trend of them being called out to what they believe are bogus burglaries designed to defraud insurance companies. They are monitoring this situation very closely.

The Ovacik area may seem to be a rich picking ground for the burglar but it’s a high risk cat and mouse game. Although the Jandarma patrol the area regularly, which takes approximately 45 minutes, burglars monitor patterns and try to strike in the intervening periods. So, to combat this, the Jandarma station plain-clothed officers to patrol strategic places.

Residents shouldn’t rely entirely on these patrols to catch criminals and should take their own measures to prevent burglary. The officers gave general advice on securing property, valuables and vehicles. They also warned that some measures residents use to confuse can help the burglar. Remember, the burglar works hard to avoid being caught so will check a property and your routines out in advance to make sure they can work without interruption. For example, when you leave a porch light on when you are out but then turn it off when you get home the burglar will know! So, vary your routines. One of the best deterrents to burglary, the Jandarma suggests, is a dog. There is no liability if a dog bites a burglar.

But what if you are confronted by a burglar on your property? The Jandarma explained that you can use force to protect yourself or your property. A pepper spray, available locally, is a good method, the officer explained. However, just remember that a confronted burglar is potentially dangerous so any weapon you use could be used against you!

If you are a victim of a burglary in the Ovacik area you should ring the Jandarma headquarters on 6170055.