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March 6, 1996
Crime prevention tips for senior citizens
Many senior citizens worry about crime and how it affects them. "The sad fact is," Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway said, "some are so afraid that they lock themselves in their homes and rarely go out."
"The truth is," he continued, "senior citizens are victims of crime less often than younger people. However, that doesn't mean our senior citizens should not learn to protect themselves and avoid becoming victims of crime."
Sheriff Hathaway offered these tips for Caddo Parish senior citizens:
Consider the federal government's direct-deposit program. This allows your Social Security or retirement check to be deposited directly into your account each month -- eliminating the possibility of theft from your mailbox.
Lock up. This basic rule of crime prevention is simple to follow. Lock your doors and windows. Surprisingly, in almost 50 percent of all home and apartment burglaries, someone did not lock a door or a window, or left a key in an obvious hiding place. Lock your doors even when you're doing yard work. You may start working in a flower bed right next to the front door, but gradually work your way to the back of the house with the front door still open or unlocked. You're asking for trouble!
Avoid traveling alone. Arrange your schedule so you can walk or ride with someone else, especially in high-risk neighborhoods or on dark, deserted streets.
If you already have a Neighborhood Watch program, be an active participant in it. Areas with active and effective Neighborhood Watch programs have lower crime rates. If you don't have a Neighborhood Watch program and are interested in starting one, contact the police department if you live in the city or your Sheriff's Office if you live outside the city. In Caddo Parish, call 226-6678.
"You should also protect yourself from fraudulent schemes," Sheriff Hathaway said. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" One common scheme is the "telephone credit card ruse," where someone calls you on some pretext and asks for your credit card number. If your credit card number falls into the wrong hand, you can be billed for thousands of dollars of merchandise you did not buy. You should never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you order merchandise from a well-known and reputable company and the representative requests your credit card number for billing purposes.
"Many older folks say crime is one of their biggest worries," Sheriff Hathaway concluded. "But I hope our senior citizens will practice crime prevention and enjoy life to its fullest."