The proportion of senior citizens compared to the overall population will increase over the next few years.
Crime against senior citizens will therefore increasingly become the focus of police prevention.
The project "Seniors support seniors - well oriented and mobile in old age" aims to strengthen the sense of security of the elderly population in particular and to protect seniors from crime and traffic accidents as far as possible.
The senior citizen safety advisors are 31 experienced citizens from the towns and municipalities of the Siegen-Wittgenstein district who support the police in the prevention of crimes against senior citizens and road traffic hazards.
From October 2017 to February 2018, 10 training sessions of around 90 minutes each were held, including a closing event, initially for interested parties from Siegen and the Siegerland region. The main topics included: Fraud crimes to the detriment of senior citizens on the phone and at the front door, basic home security, dangers and safety in road traffic, an introduction to the consumer advice center, safety on the internet and a scientific look at ageing.
In 2020, the training of interested parties for the old district of Wittgenstein was also completed, meaning that almost the entire district can now be covered.
Contact with the senior safety advisors can either be made directly or via the Crime Prevention/Victim Protection Department of the Siegen-Wittgenstein district police authority (0271/7099-4800, Detective Chief Inspector Susanne Otto, KPO.Siegen-Wittgenstein [at] polizei.nrw.de (KPO[dot]Siegen-Wittgenstein[at]polizei[dot]nrw[dot]de)).
Even at this time during the coronavirus pandemic, the senior citizens' safety advisors are available by telephone from their "home office" to answer questions relating to police prevention.