Neighbourhood Watch

Due to the increasing number of burglaries occurring in the area, a Kathikas neighbourhood watch has been set up. We have become sector 15 of the Pegia NHW.

This section has been created to give residents access to the information distributed by the Page NHW. Our neighbourhood watch coordinator and liaison person for Kathikas is:

Ian Lynch

Ian is retired policeman, and has offered his assistance to anyone who may require advice and guidance.

He will be attending meetings with Page NHW, then reporting back relevant information in this section, and to our resident meetings.

His contact details are 26632367 (Home) and 97730720 (Mobile)

Click to e-mail Ian

Police contact numbers:

Pafos Police Division 26806060 Fax 26306156

Duty Officer 26806050

Charge Office 26806036

Crime Investigation Department 26806021

Traffic Branch 26806101

Minor Cases 26806036

RURAL POLICE STATIONS:

Polis Chrysochou 26806280 Fax 26323006

Pagia 26806350 26815542 Fax 26622372

Kouklia 26812820 Fax 26432602

Stroumbi 26814060 Fax 26633306

Panayia 26817484 Fax 26724019

Kato Pyrgos 26812940 Fax 26522706

Kelokedara 26817110 Fax 2644643

Beat the Burglar Home Security Guide

Any home is a potential target for burglars; some are more appealing than others and some offer themselves up with a bow that begs to be opened.

If your home falls into the latter category then you need to improve your security measures fast to help you beat the burglar and keep your valuable possessions safe from harm/loss.

1: Windows; most burglars will want to enter your property from the rear and it is most likely that they will look to force a window to gain entry.  Breaking a window will usually be a last resort as this will attract unwanted attention so you should turn your attention to visibly securing them with key operated locks.

2: Lighting; burglars don't like to be in the spotlight so you should ensure you have outdoor lights fitted that operate on a sensor switch (to save electricity) which activates when movement is detected.  Using timer switches can be a good deterrent for an opportunist thief if you are away for a few days.

3: Burglar Alarms; many homes still do not have a burglar alarm and this should be a basic security measure on all homes.  The siren box will act as a visual deterrent to some extent (dummy sirens can also be bought cheaply) and you can choose a system that simply let's off an alarm or one that dials a preset number or a local security company.

4: Doors; It is imperative that you ensure your external doors are strong, in good condition and secured to a high standard.  Fitting a 5 lever mortice deadlock or extra sliding bolts will greatly improve security and French doors - which are much weaker than singular doors - should be fitted with top and bottom mortice locks on both doors.

5: Gates & Fences; a weak or low fence can make gaining access to the rear of your property much easier. Sturdy 6ft fences make the task a little harder and thorny hedges such as Hawthorne make a good deterrent.  Gates should also be similarly sturdy and locked from the inside with a bolt that is out of reach as a minimum standard.

6: Spare Key; Never hide a spare key in convenient location, it will be just as convenient for the average burglar too and will hand the house to them on a silver platter.

7: Don't Leave Valuables in Sight; Fitting blinds or net curtains will make it harder to see into your property.  You might be proud of your 40" LCD TV but do you want to advertise it to an opportunist thief?

8: Buy a Safe; if you have particularly valuable items such as jewellery or large sums of cash in the house then it is a good idea to purchase a safe which can be secured in place in a hidden location.  Passports, unused credit cards, etc should also ideally be locked away.

9: Mark Your Property; so that if you are burgled your possessions can be identified should the police recover them.  This can be achieved by etching your postcode, surname and house number/name onto the item, or, where this is not practical, using an ultraviolet marker.

10: Don't Advertise Your Absence; many people now use social networking websites such as Facebook.com to tell everyone about their daily exploits.  Don't unwittingly give details of when you're going on holiday by mentioning dates, etc

Crime Update 24 October 2011 Current Trends

•  The Current Methods (Modus Operandi) being used to burgle dwellings in and around Kathikas (and Pegia) has been to target unoccupied dwellings during the hours of darkness and usually at weekends.

•   It is not clear if the Burglaries are targeting specific properties or they are randomly selected.

•  Entry has been gained to dwellings by entering through insecure doors and windows OR by forcing main access doors using a blunt instrument for leverage of the lock

•  The blunt instrument on some of the burglaries has been garden tools belonging to the householder.

•  These have been thrown into the householders swimming pool after they have been used. It is believed this is done because the chlorine in the pool will destroy DNA traces on the tools.

•  The priority appears to be cash with some time being spent looking for safes in walls and floors throughout the dwelling.

•  If a safe is found it will be removed from the property.

•  If no safe is found the Burglars will not leave empty handed and will steal flat screen televisions, electronic goods and jewellery.

•  On some but not all of the burglaries, the burglar(s) have stolen passports.

•  The amount of force used and the number of items stolen including safes suggest that there is more than one offender.

•  There is no evidence to suggest that the offenders are exclusively male.

•  A 52 year old British man has recently been arrested and is currently remanded in custody for three Burglaries in the Agios Georgios area of Peyia after activating an alarm.

•   This did not deter him but he ended up being caught in the act when a neighbour responding to the alarm over powered and detained him.

•   Although the burglaries have stopped it remains unclear if this British man is responsible for the recent spate of burglaries and obviously cannot commit crime whilst he is incarcerated BUT if it is him his accomplice(s) still remain at large.

•   It is more likely that there is more than one Burglary Team operating in and around Kathikas/Paphos so we need to remain vigilant.

•   It is possible because perfume and not aftershave have been stolen one or more of the offenders may be female?

•   It is also possible that they have either displaced to other areas or are simply waiting for the current investigation activity to be completed.