The La Laguna City Council, via the health dynamisation and ageing service managed by Muvisa, along with the National Police, will commence a series of talks next week focusing on security, specifically tailored for the elderly residents of the borough. This initiative aims to enhance the prevention of common criminal acts targeting this demographic, which constitutes a quarter of the local populace.
From April 3 to 25, representatives from the National Citizen Participation Group of the National Police will be visiting four locations of Senior Associations in La Laguna to provide guidance and resources that empower attendees to bolster their self-defence capabilities. They will be advised on how to avoid or respond to various high-risk scenarios, as indicated by the municipality in a statement.
The first talk is set to take place on April 3 at the headquarters of the Mayor Cho Canino Association, located at the former Children’s College of Finca España. The programme will continue on April 7, 11, and 25 at the New Generation Associations (Citizen Centre El Cardonal II), Teobaldo Power (former College of Las Mercedes), and Ipalán (Citizen Citizen Vistamar, in La Cuesta), respectively.
The municipality emphasises that this initiative, which is accessible to all seniors in La Laguna, complements the annual training, leisure, participation, and promotion of healthy ageing initiatives introduced by the dynamisation service for seniors at Muvisa, benefiting over 43,000 residents aged over 60.
This local strategy encompasses more than 90 weekly workshops across approximately 40 venues throughout various districts, along with innovative activities designed to incorporate physical exercise, enhance mental wellbeing, facilitate digital literacy, and promote cultural engagement alongside cognitive development.
The programme, operating under the slogan “much to live”, also seeks to address the issue of unwanted loneliness among older individuals.
Furthermore, this municipal initiative is bolstered by partnerships with institutions and organisations, such as the Economic and Social Forum (FES) of La Laguna, Banco de España, the CB Canary Islands Foundation, and the Cajasiete Pedro Modesto Campos Foundation, among others. These collaborations include talks, tailored training, and resources aimed at improving elderly safety and protecting against fraud, forgeries, and online scams.
The comprehensive annual programme is now enhanced through this new collaboration with the National Police Participation Group, which will deliver this training and informational support as part of the overarching national security strategy.
Through this initiative, members of the aforementioned group will furnish La Laguna’s elderly with detailed information regarding crucial safety measures relevant to various situations and environments.
The project will not only equip them with essential knowledge on how to react should they fall victim to a crime but will also delve into potential scenarios that may arise in public spaces, whilst travelling, during financial transactions, online, or within their own abodes. Recommendations will be provided to mitigate risks and safeguard against theft or scams.
Enhanced Security Strategy
The comprehensive security strategy, initiated by the Secretary of State for Security within the Interior Ministry, and implemented by the Civil Guard and National Police, has objectives including the prevention of primary threats identified to the safety of older individuals. This encompasses various forms of abuse, robbery, theft, as well as fraudulent scams and the unauthorised use of their properties, funds, accounts, and savings cards by third parties.
The project aspires to foster confidence in the State Security Forces among the elderly and to cultivate proactive behaviours towards reporting the situations and crimes they might encounter. Additionally, it aims to refine police responses to better serve the older population.
