Older People’s Day 2009

A seminar aimed at promoting safety has been held to coincide with the UK Older People’s Day.

Arranged by the Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership and Gwynedd Council, The Older Persons Seminar was held on Thursday (1 October) at the Glaslyn Leisure Centre in Porthmadog.

Taking part on the day was North Wales Police, the Police Authority, Gwynedd Council, the Criminal Justice Board, Gwynedd Domestic Abuse Forum and the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Inspector Guy Blackwell from North Wales Police’s Community Safety Department said: “To celebrate International Older Persons Day we held various activities – including an open question and answer session which saw discussions about reassurance and reducing the fear of crime, a ‘Balance your Bobbies’ session and we had various displays which had lots of information on how to keep safe.

“The day was very well attended and during the afternoon a group of primary school children attended and took part in ‘Balance your Bobbies’. They also had an opportunity to speak to officers and look inside our mobile CCTV van.”

North Wales Police works with Partners to bring security awareness and home safety awareness to older people on International Older Peoples Day.

Neighbourhood policing is the approach that North Wales Police use to fight crime, address community safety issues and reassure our communities. Each neighbourhood within North Wales has a dedicated team of Neighbourhood Policing officers managed by a Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, and their aim is to achieve safe and secure neighbourhoods and providing a service that is tailored to local needs.

Detective Superintendent Peter Chalinor is North Wales Police’s Age Champion. He said: “North Wales Police recognises that older people may have concerns or be vulnerable to certain types of crime. “Older People’ Day and the whole of the month October, gives us the opportunity to focus on the older members of our communities, and work in partnership with other agencies to meet and listen to their concerns.

“We can work with older people to focus on combating their concerns to ensure they have the best quality of life in North Wales and know that their police force is working hard to make them safe. It also gives them a chance to meet their local officers.

He added: “We have special events ongoing across the force area for our officers to get out there and meet people. We also have events at our air base where older people are being given a tour and have the chance to speak with the aircrew.

“I hope that this contact across the force will not only aid this section of the community but make our staff more aware of the needs of all our public.” North Wales Police Neighbourhood Policing Teams work with a range of partners in the communities and throughout October, the force will attend various events and venues across the area, promoting home safety and security awareness.

Inspector Blackwell added: “Over next few weeks officers within the Western Division (which covers Gwynedd and Anglesey) - will be visiting various sheltered accommodation sites and older people’s groups to promote safety messages and provide advice regarding bogus callers.”

Anyone wishing to discuss any issues that are of concern to them can contact their local Neighbourhood Policing Team by phoning 101, or 0845 607 1001 (Welsh line) or 0845 607 1002 (English line).

Contact details for individual CBM’s and PCSO’s are also available on the North Wales Police website – www.north-wales.police.uk

Further details regarding the Community Safety Partnership can be obtained via – www.nwcsp.org.uk