'Fear of crime' scheme could expand to Ross-shire
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A TRAILBLAZING police-backed scheme that aims to reduce the fear of crime among older people has been voted a success and could be extended to Ross-shire and beyond if the cash is available.
Northern Constabulary and its partner agencies say they are delighted with the positive response to the innovative Stay Safe Scheme, which is aimed at reducing the fear of crime amongst older people in the Inverness area.
The pilot, which is the only one of its kind in Scotland, has been running in Inverness and its outskirts for 18 months now and it has been warmly welcomed by over 50s in the community.
Highland Community Care Forum (HCCF) carried out research amongst people over 50 to find out what concerns they had and what information they would like to be given about community safety in the Inverness area. They were able to secure funding for what is now known as the Stay Safe project from Comic Relief and Age Scotland.
A multi-agency steering group was then set up and included members from Highland Senior Citizens Network, the Police, Age Scotland and the HCCF.
Stay Safe is a peer speaking project which involves six volunteer speakers, who are led by a volunteer co-ordinator, and who give talks to older people’s groups on a variety of subjects including bogus callers, scams and other issues relating to community safety.
The speakers are currently delivering talks to older people’s groups in the Inverness area and it’s hoped to extend the project to more rural areas and eventually across the Force, depending on future funding streams.
Police and partners will be highlighting the work of the scheme through a series of displays at police headquarters in Inverness this week.
Research by HCCF has shown that older people are more likely to take in and trust information delivered by their peers, rather than by someone much younger. Research also suggests that they prefer to hear from people with similar life experience to themselves. That’s why the volunteer speakers are all over 50 years of age.
Northern Constabulary’s representative on the steering group is Constable Rosanna MacSween.
Constable MacSween said, "We have seen the Stay Safe project developing during the first 18 months. We are now getting requests for talks from a number of groups, some from outwith Inverness who have heard about the project.
"Older people tell us they see it as a vital source of information and reassurance and that it is making them feel safer and more supported within their communities."
She added, "We hope in the future to roll the scheme out to other areas of the force. The feedback from the ongoing evaluation we carry out as part of the steering group tells us that there is an increasing awareness amongst older people of the types of crimes we are speaking to them about, for example scams, bogus callers and doorstep crime."
Jo Cowan, Age Scotland’s development officer for the North, said, "Stay Safe offers older volunteers an ideal opportunity to become involved in an initiative which greatly benefits their peers. It demonstrates the value to our communities of the experience of older people.
"Our volunteer speakers create an environment in which older people not only receive information but also feel comfortable about raising any concerns around community safety."
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and area fiscal, Andrew Laing, hailed it "a very worthwhile scheme". He said, "Older people can become the victims of crime and there are certain criminals who cynically target older people and attempt to take advantage of their situation and their assets.
"Examples include bogus workmen who charge exorbitant amounts of money for sub-standard or non-existent work and various scams to try to separate people with their money. I believe this type of criminality is very much under-reported and the scale of the problem much bigger than most of us would imagine. It is probable that we all know an older person who has been taken advantage of in this way.
"The Stay Safe Scheme is an excellent way of warning folk in our community of specific dangers and providing some good practical advice and support to help people within our community avoid such difficulties and stay safe."
One of the ladies who attended a talk given to the Lochardil 6/7/8 club said, "The talk was very good and I found the information that highlighted the sort of things that can happen very helpful and also how a senior citizen could contact Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous."
A representative of the Glints of Gold group who meet at the Spectrum Centre responded saying: "Glints of Gold were pleased to welcome one of the Stay Safe volunteers to speak at a meeting in February. Many commented that hearing this information from real people brought the message on safety home."
If anyone is interested in becoming a peer speaker contact Sarah Shaw (volunteer co-ordinator) on sshaw@hccf.org.uk or 01463 248 671.
