A campaign to help the elderly and vulnerable stop bogus callers has been launched in Liverpool. The Doorstep security project offers free gadgets to help people make doubly sure that the person at the door is who they claim to be. It is run by Merseyside Residents Network, sponsored by repairs provider Morrison and was set up after an 82 year old woman from St Helens died following a robbery by a caller posing as a policeman. So far the project has helped over 1500 households right across Merseyside.
At the latest event, mirrors will be given out and installed free of charge to residents at the Olive Mount sheltered housing centre which is run by the health and social care charity PSS. The mirrors will be attached near the inside of the front door in a way that will make it possible for tenants to get a full length view of the caller, while the door chain is still on. The tenants will also be given a free magnifying glass that they can keep near the front door, so they can check the identity cards of the callers with confidence.
“This is crucial,” said Jane Twigg, Project Manager of the Liverpool Shared Living Project at Olive Mount Gardens. “If they go inside to get their glasses, a bogus caller could be in their property before they get back to the door. It’s all about making people aware of a few simple steps they can take to keep these people out."
The doorstep security project is run by Merseyside Residents Network who are providing the mirrors, magnifiers and labour, with the support of Liverpool community crime fighters, Merseyside Police and Cosmopolitan Housing.
For more information contact Jane Twigg on 0151 722 1300.