Council launch a borough wide campaign aimed at the elderly
The posters warning elderly residents about the need to be on their guard
against doorstep con-artists, have been placed at 106 sites around the
borough, are designed to remind people not to let anyone into their homes
if they do not know who they are.
As well as the posters, the council's community safety department has
also produced leaflets, flyers and high visibility door stickers to alert
people to the dangers of distraction burglars.
These types of burglaries usually involve someone calling at an elderly
person's door claiming to work for a gas company or the water board. They
then convince the householder to let them in while they check the supply,
but leave the front door slightly ajar. While the victim is distracted,
an accomplice sneaks in and steals property.
This type of crime tends to be under-reported for a variety of reasons.
Many people do not realise until much later that they have been a victim
while others are too embarrassed to call the police.
Research by the Home Office estimates that the police are only notified
in about a third of all cases, even though the burglars often escape with
large sums of money, including people's life savings or irreplaceable
family heirlooms.
The research also shows that the average victim is 78-years-old and that
77 per cent are women.
Work is now underway with council staff, the police, neighbourhood watch
groups and charities for the elderly working together to analyse these
crimes in greater detail to see what can be learnt about how criminals
choose their victims.
In addition, a crime prevention and community safety advice desk is to
be established at Wandsworth Age Concern's offices, while the Wandsworth
Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association are starting a training programme
so that local co-ordinators can learn more about protecting vulnerable
residents in their areas. Victim Support volunteers also will be receiving
extra training to help them assist people who have fallen prey to this
type of crime.
Wandsworth's cabinet member for environment and public services Cllr Kathy
Tracey said: "We are committed to working with the police, neighbourhood
watch groups and voluntary agencies to do all we can to prevent these
callous burglars from targeting elderly and vulnerable people in Wandsworth.
"We want to alert older people about this problem and provide them
with some useful tips to help them recognise the way these con-artists
work and so make it harder for them to operate.
"Hopefully our posters and door stickers will remind residents about
the kind of things they should avoid doing when they get an unexpected
knock at the door from a stranger. It is a sad but true fact that many
of the people who fall victim to this type of burglary never really recover
from the shock of it - especially if they lose their life savings or items
of great sentimental value. This is why we are determined to do all we
can to stamp it out."
Residents who would like copies of leaflets or door stickers should telephone
the council's community safety division on 020 8871 0803.
November 29, 2004