A project in Liverpool to protect the elderly and vulnerable from bogus callers has been praised by tenants. The Doorstep security project provides free gadgets so that people can make sure the person at the door is who they claim to be. It is run by Merseyside Residents Network and sponsored by repairs provider Morrison. It was set up when an 82 year old woman from St Helens died after she had been robbed by a caller posing as a policeman. So far the project has helped over 1500 households right across Merseyside.
In the latest campaign, new chains, mirrors and magnifiers were given out and installed free of charge to residents at the Olive Mount sheltered housing centre in Wavertree, which is run by the health and social care charity PSS. The mirrors are attached near the inside of the front door in a way that enables tenants to get a full length view of the caller, while the door chain is still on. They were also given free magnifiers to keep near the front door, so they can check the identity cards of the callers with confidence.
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.
To find out more about staying safe from bogus callers and getting the equipment, call Paul Taylor, from Merseyside Residents Network on 0151 707 0707.