The City Council of La Laguna, in collaboration with the Healthy Dynamization and Ageing Service of MUVESA and the National Police, is set to introduce a programme of safety discussions specifically tailored for the senior residents of the municipality. This initiative aims to provide them with advice and resources to enhance their ability to protect themselves and to inform them on how to prevent or respond to various risky situations.
“While we are determining the most suitable dates and venues to reach a broad audience, this initiative is well underway so that, within this semester, representatives from this State Security Corps will directly engage in a series of sessions in Laguna,” explains the Councilor for Social Welfare, María Cruz.
The mayor emphasises that “these activities are incorporated within the comprehensive annual training programme, leisure options, participation, and the promotion of healthy ageing that, alongside the dynamization service for seniors at Muvisa, we have established for over 43,600 residents aged over 60,” a strategy that has led to the municipality receiving recognition from Imserso as a friendlier city for the elderly.
This local initiative encompasses more than 90 weekly workshops across approximately 40 venues throughout all districts, as well as innovative activities that include physical exercise, mental health improvement, digital literacy, cultural promotion, and cognitive development. This municipal offering is further bolstered by ongoing collaboration with various institutions and entities, which provide talks, customised training, and resources to empower older individuals to enhance their safety and protect themselves against fraud, forgeries, or digital scams.
The National Police Participation Group will deliver this new educational and informative resource as part of the main state security plan, which focuses on direct engagement with a particularly vulnerable demographic in certain situations.
Through this initiative, they will provide the elderly residents of Laguna with a detailed overview of essential security measures applicable in various situations and environments, along with advice and guidelines designed to bolster the prevention of criminal acts most frequently perpetrated against older individuals.
In addition to equipping them with the knowledge to respond if they fall victim to a crime, the programme will delve into circumstances that may arise in public spaces, while travelling, when handling money, online, or within their own homes, offering recommendations to mitigate risks and strategies proven to protect against theft or scams.
Enhanced Security Plan
The overarching security plan, promoted by the Secretary of Security from the Ministry of Interior and executed by the Civil Guard and the National Police, aims to prevent the most significant risks facing the elderly in terms of security, fostering trust among these individuals in the security forces, while refining their responsiveness in dealing with such matters.
This plan seeks to avert primary threats identified for the safety of older adults, such as various forms of abuse, burglaries (in their homes, involving violence, occurring in the vicinity of financial institutions, etc.), thefts, in addition to scams and the fraudulent exploitation of their properties, funds, accounts, and savings cards by third parties.
Moreover, the initiative intends to bolster the elderly’s confidence in the State Security Forces and Bodies and to encourage proactive behaviours regarding the reporting of situations and crimes they might encounter, while also enhancing the quality of police response when interacting with the elderly.
