A conference has been organized in Ankara by the General Safety Director, who is in charge of 81 provinces, to address the dramatic increase in crime recently seen throughout Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. The conference will run for three days.

The General Safety Director explained to Hürriyet that six new precautions were going to be applied with regards to tackling crime as part of a project titled the “Public Safety Project".


The precautions are as follows:


1. The number of both pedestrian and motorized police teams especially in densely populated areas are to be increased.


2. Police officers will be placed in more strategic locations such as on densely populated streets, sporting events, trains etc.


3. A crack down on people selling stolen goods. More interrogations for suspects. For example a campaign in under way at the moment and second hand
mobile phone dealers in particular are being targeted.


4. A campaign will start to educate the public on public safety measures including brochures and a comprehensive website.


5. Increase the punishment for criminals who receive jail time with the hope that there will be less repeat offenders.


6. Appeal to individual districts to increase the amount of lighting on dark streets.

 (Hürriyet Istanbul)