By Diane Gilhula
Police officers in Greater Sudbury are going the extra mile for seniors.
The Greater Sudbury Police Service is paying special attention to crimes against seniors says Const. Nicole Lekun who spoke to a group of seniors, and gerontology students at a Safety First for Seniors seminar held Wednesday at the Main Branch of the Sudbury Public Library.
"It's disgusting what these con artists do, but seniors have the police on their side."
Seniors are preyed on by con artists because of their good nature says Lekun. They are also less likely to phone the police, she says.
Lekun is an officer assigned full-time to issues surrounding seniors in the crime prevention unit. Most of her work is primarily in awareness, and prevention of crimes against seniors.
She says seniors are afraid to come forth to report crimes committed against them for many reasons, including fear of the police. Seniors are also embarrassed if they are the victims of financial scams, she says.
The police service feels awareness of crimes against seniors is a priority because of demographics and an aging population, she says.
Lekun also doesn't believe society is getting the full picture of how prevalent crime against the elderly has become, adding "the police wish to remove the unreported element of the crime."
Lekun played a tape recording of an actual conversation between a telephone scam artist, and a feeble elderly man. The aggressive, unfeeling tone of the scam artist caused the audience to cringe.
The female caller persistently pressured the man to give up his credit card number in exchange for an "executive prize that was ready to be shipped to him." The caller refused to say what the prize was.
Lekun had several suggestions for seniors to protect themselves from fraud and robbery. She advised seniors to not let strangers in their homes, and to cut short any conversations at their front doors if they are suspicious.
Lekun warned seniors in the audience to be especially wary of home renovation scams.
"If it sounds to good to be true it probably is."
Automatic deposit of pensions and other income was a good idea for seniors, said Lekun. She also advised seniors to never give out their bank PIN numbers.
Break and enters, in many cases, can be thwarted by leaving lights or timer lights on, as well as the television or radio.
Names on mailboxes can also be used by con artists to try and rip off seniors, so leave them off, she said. "The important thing is for the criminal to think that someone is at home."
She also had some tips for seniors who drive. She advised seniors to lock all car doors, to carry small amounts of cash and to never let anyone into their car if they have car trouble. When using public, seniors should be cautious with their parcels and purses.
It is also important for seniors to not feel "too safe" and always be aware of their surroundings. She advises seniors to follow safe, well-lit routes when walking, to not carry too many parcels, and think twice about walking at night.
Carrying keys in pockets and not in their purses or bags is also a good idea as is letting others know where you are going, especially at night.
