Reporting an intruder to Gendarme

[bryher]

Not wishing to restart an old forum but members might be interested in my experience 2 weeks ago. 21.45 watching TV heard metal chair scrape on patio. Looked out saw 2 youths trying locks on side doors. Quietly left and took my car from about 75 metres away and went to Gendarme. Guard there spoke some english. Explained youths probably still in our complex. Reply " Officer is out, I cannot help, you have sigorta".  On the way back to the villa saw the same 2 youths walking into Kalkan. What do we do?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=1715.0

[hel66]

I doubt you''ll get many answers to this one, people come here for a holiday, not to get their houses ransacked by the.....

[philb1963]

They were trying your side doors and you drove away!!

You probably would have got a similar response from UK police!!

[misty]

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[Lantana]

Are you seriously suggesting Misty, that if you suspect an intruder is on or in your property, you have the right in Turkey to take the law into your own hands? This is both an irresponsible and dangerous post. It appears to be suggesting that anyone who did suspect an intruder should take physical action against them as ''human rights rules don''t apply in Turkey''

Why don''t you go a stage further and suggest villa owners set up vigilante groups?. In this village, as in any other democratic community, the rule of law applies. If you feel that the law is inadequate, move elsewhere but don''t suggest that villa owners who are foreigners with no rights here  create their own interpretation of law and take matters into their own hands.
 Lantana

[misty]

No Im not suggesting any of that....but if someone comes onto your property you have every right to take action tp protect your family and property.

[misty]

I should add that I love Kalkan for the fact that I have always felt very safe for myself and family whilst there.   

[bryher]

What strange reactions to my post. hel66 says people come for holiday not to be ransacked - don''t understand what that means in the context of my query. philb1963 seems to think that trying to get local police quickly is cause for inuendo. The comment on UK police is irelevant. Lantana who as I have said in another place is one of my most respected correspondents but appears to have gone off key here a little.
To put it in context I have now retired from the uk judiciary and have lived in Kalkan for 7 years and before that 5 years as a visitor.
My point was that until now I have always felt safe in Kalkan but petty crime has without doubt exacerbated in the last 2 years and this was a very good opportunity to catch 2 possible offenders and gendarme were not interested.
Sorry that an innocent observation has caused such reaction.

[Hoca]

It is a reflection on life as a whole

[marking]

Hi Bryher, There is nothing else you can do, this is a very touchy subject here because hundreds of people have been in your position and the gendarme don''t or can''t do much. Most people I know who have been burgled, and it is common, put bars on their windows and window locks. You can also get steel reinforced doors, I''m sure there are villa owners out there with other forms of protection........ [a note of sarcasm] ........ now wait for them to fill the thread with unhelpful nonsense in the hope that the subject will go away!!!!!

[bryher]

Marking
Thank you for the voice of reason, hopefully if I summon the courage to make another post I will be answered in similar way

[Mctee]

Another note, perhaps Misty is an American, where laws involving protection of property are very different from those in the U.K. Remember our transatlantic cousins have the ''right'' to bear arms, and presumably to use them if there is an intruder on your property. It always amazes me in the movies how guns are brandished so freely in the states,and in many states killing an intruder is perfectly acceptable! but I think this is a reality that the U.K fortunately does not have to deal with. Look at the section ''Buying a property in the U.S.A and gunning down anyone you don''t like who comes into your garden.''
 

[Em1]

Hi
I am not able to read Mistys thread as it has been removed, so I cant comment. However it is a very sad state of affairs when the local Police cannot or will not help, that you are unable to protect your belongings or family. I do hope any alleged burglars take my human rights into account when coming onto my property and burgling me!
Em

[misty]

Hi.....I didnt say anything like gunning people down.I stated that you are able to protect your family and property when under threat and meet that threat with whatever is required.

 

[freeat]

My friend''s villa was broken into recently and they had no joy from the police. Putting bars on the windows seems so drastic and makes the place look so unsightly. There must be other solutions  what do other villa owners do?

[philb1963]

Sorry Bryher there was no innuendo meant in my post.

Its just that I would have thought if they had realised there was some-one in the property they would have done a runner which would at least have have made your property safe.  It just seems odd to me leaving the property during which time they could have got access and made away with your belongings when the simple act of turning a light on or just making a noise would in all likelihood have eliminated this risk.

I suppose different people react differently in a situation such as this which, thankfully, not many of us will encounter - at home or abroad.

[bryher]

I take your point and thank you for explaining. My intention was to "officially" catch them. Should have known better after so long in Kalkan.

[Pauline]

Thought I would let you all know that we had a break-in during the night 8th June - whilst we were all sleeping and two young children in their bedrooms - frightening thought.   They took the usual stuff handbags, purses, phones and actually went into one of the bedrooms whilst there was someone sleeping.   The gendarme did come quite quickly when we called in the morning when we discovered the break-in.   The following day all our belongings were found in an empty villa nearbye by a neighbour who was just having a look at the villa (naturally all the money had vanished) and again the gendarme did come.   We questioned the security of the complex where our belongings were found!!!!    They said it was very valid!!!  I think not!!   We now have to make our villa more secure.    So beware of leaving windows open when you are asleep - as we think they climbed up on to the first floor terrace and entered through an open window. Pauline

[Pauline]

Hi The Feds
Thank you so much for all your advice.   We are back in Kalkan next Monday - 23rd june.   Would it be possible for us to visit you and see what you have done and get all the info where you organised everything.   It would really be appreciated.  Naturally, hoping you are also in Kalkan.   Thanks Pauline

[coppers1]

Bryher,

I am not yet a property owner in Kalkan, but hope to be soon.
I am also a recently retired Police Sgt in Scotland.
I have read your post and related replies with interest, and, for what it''s worth, here is my opinion  -

Myself, wife and kid stay in a quiet rural area of Scotland with only one neighbouring house within a half-mile radius.

A few years ago, I was off duty, at home when I saw a 30yr old male breaking into my neighbour''s dwelling. The house was empty at the time.
I managed to catch and detain the housebreaker (after a slight scrap) until the local Police arrived a short time later, having been phoned by my wife.
This was all pretty much run-of-the-mill stuff to me because of my training and experience, however, I would definitely NOT encourage any of my family, other neighbours or friends to take similar action, as things could go very badly wrong and the result could be severe injury to the "good guys".

I totally agree with the suggestion that the simplest course of action, in your case, would have been to frighten the two youths off, by making a noise/switching on a light etc... and then phoning the local cops (if your local lingo is good enough) and giving them as full a description as possible of those concerned.
OK, so they might not be "caught in the act", but you may have prevented a crime and, if the police were fast enough, at least the would-be burglars would be identified, questioned and warned off.   
It is not a perfect solution, but it ain''t a perfect world!

Cheers


Dave