In today's turbulent, recession-plagued world filled with crime and despair for many businesses, can one man provide hope?

It's possible, if that man is Chuck Norris.

The legendary Hollywood action hero is now apparently a crime fighter in Europe – or at least a menacing image of Norris is.

A poster at a bakery shop in Split, Croatia, declares the property is protected by Chuck Norris. Crime has reportedly come to a halt at the location. (courtesy Croatian Times)

A bakery in Split, Croatia, has employed a poster of the TV star and martial arts champion after it suffered a string of burglaries.

According to European news accounts, the bakery had been broken into nearly every week until owners put up a photo along with the message: "This shop is under the protection of Chuck Norris."

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The bakery has reportedly been crime-free for more than a month since Norris has been on duty.

Norris says he's thrilled he can be of service, telling WND, "I am very honored to help reduce crime anywhere on the planet, even from a photo!"

"To be honest we just started it as a joke but it really has worked," sales assistant Mirna Kovac said, according to Britain's Ananova. "Thieves haven't been anywhere near us for ages. People seem to respect him.

"Everyone around here has seen his films and he's quite a popular character, perhaps even among criminals, so they've decided to leave us alone."

She added: "We have had a few customers come in and ask us whether they can get Chuck's autograph. They really believe he is sitting in our storeroom out the back ready to pounce on any burglars."

Meanwhile, in the U.S., some are using the legendary attributes of Norris to help promote their business.

For instance, Ink Addiction Tattoo and Body Piercing in Stuart, Fla., proclaims on its marquee: "Chuck Norris can drown a fish."

A tattoo parlor in Stuart, Fla., is attracting attention by displaying quips about Chuck Norris' legendary abilities. (WND photo / Joe Kovacs)

"I definitely think it's helping people notice the sign more," tattoo artist Red Shadel told WND. "I don't have any official numbers, but [business] has been pretty good around here recently."

"We've just been getting a lot of random calls on it from people driving by. A lot of people stop and take a picture of it. They love him."

Shadel says the quips about Norris' bigger-than-life abilities are all over the Internet, and his sign will display different messages about the tough guy, who also writes a column for WND.

"Next week it'll be 'Chuck Norris can unscramble an egg' or 'Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle.'"

"He was such a bad a-- back in the day," Shadel said.

Norris will be putting out another book later this year titled, "The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book," from Tyndale Publishing. The book will contain Chuck's 101 favorite Chuck Norris Facts collected from around the world, with 101 subsequent reflections on those facts, his life, career and secrets for success.

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