3. Finally, and perhaps most worrying, are those burglars that take their time watching and waiting. You don't know them, but they get to know you, by patiently doing reconnaissance, and planning exactly when to target your property. Some of the recent burgalries in Kalkan definitely fall within this category. The only way to beat them is to spot them first, and report them.

KTLN has been speaking to members of the local community, and senior members of the Jandarma, and we feel that the time has come for the community to do something about this problem.

Taking this further, the Jandarma are now positively encouraging us to let them know about suspicious behaviour, as this may help to prevent a criminal act, or help to locate an offender if a crime has been committed.

Put simply, the Jandarma would like us to be their eyes and ears. This is pretty much what happens with the UK Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

Time for action
Here at KTLN, we feel that in the light of this persistant burglary problem, doing nothing is no longer a sensible option. Nor is it realistic to expect the Jandarma to somehow do this on their own. We believe that all of us have an obligation to each other, to look out for suspicious behaviour and report it.

It may be a cliche, but the community has to come together to resolve this issue. If we do nothing; if we provide no intelligence to the Jandarma, make no mistake, these burglaries will continue. Who will be next? Your friends and neighbours? You?

We believe that it is time for the community to do something positive.

What should we report?
It is impossible to set out precise scenarios, but many times you will just have a gut feeling that something is not right. Perhaps someone riding round on a scooter, for no obvious reason, coming up and down a stretch of road, time and again.

Or someone, loitering, chatting on a mobile phone. It could be innocent, but then again, it could be a lookout, ready to alert an accomplice.

A car or scooter coming up a dead end road, stopping for a while, then driving back out again.

Cars parked up in a spot for long periods with people sat inside - potentially observing property owners coming and going.

You should be suspicious if a car or scooter has no number plate, or has the number obscured. We have seen scooters with their number plates bent upwards, so that you can't read the number. Why don't they want to be identified?

Pay particular attention to anyone close to your property as you are leaving - perhaps when you are going out into town, or for an evening out.

We know of some holidaymakers who were renting a villa next to an olive grove.  At around 9pm they noticed a stranger on the other side of their garden wall, by the olive trees.  When he realised he had been spotted, he calmly approached them and asked for a glass of water.  Is that suspicious to you?  (They didn't report it by the way). 

What if you are in two minds about reporting something?
The answer to that is you should report it. Of course it may be perfectly innocent, in which case there is no harm done. But if your instincts turn out to be right, you may have helped to capture a criminal, and saved a neighbour from suffering the distress of a burglary.

If a few innocent people are asked by the Jandarma to explain their actions, it is a minor inconvenience, in our view. And word will soon get round that the Jandarma are getting feedback and acting on it, which may filter through to the criminal elements in Kalkan, possibly acting as a deterrent.

Anything suspicious, odd, out of the ordinary, or unusual - the Jandarma have stressed to us that they want you to tell them about it. They will not be upset if it turns out to be an innocent situation. So please call them, at any time of day or night.

How do we report things to the Jandarma?
Simply call the Kalkan Jandarma on 0242 844 3005.

There should always be an English speaking person at the other end of the phone. If for some reason, there isn't an English speaking officer on duty, they will quickly get hold of one, and get back to you.

Tip: You may not always have a pen and piece of paper handy, but most of us carry mobile phones, so you could consider typing in a message to record details of a number plate, or other information, so you don't forget.  The message would also be timed if you sent it to a friend.  If your mobile incorporates a camera, or you have one of those small digital cameras to hand, why not take a photo.

What more can be done?
We are speaking with the Jandarama to see how we can all work together to tackle criminal activity - mainly burglaries.  Reporting suspicious behaviour is just one avenue.

We are considering some kind of post incident form, which would pull together details of the incident itself, and also events leading up to the incident, such as places you had visited, people you had been in contact with.  The aim would be to collate and analyse these forms, to look for common factors, which may help to track down the people responsible. 

You can read more on Home Security in the KTLN Knowledge Bank.  You will find lots of tips on how to safeguard your property and your possessions.