Solange, resident in the autonomy residence of Jean Jaures de Villeurbanne, listens attentively to the advice of the intervening police officers.
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For the past few weeks, the national police have been leading awareness-raising sessions on the theme of theft among the elderly in Villeurbanne. Reporting.
In the cinema corner of the Jean-Jaurès residence, fitted out for the occasion, around thirty seniors listen attentively to the advice of the two agents of the national police. “These people can come after you without violence, and only with cunning. There is one that distracts you while talking to you and the other that is used discreetly in your bag. When you realize it, it is already too late ” deplores Christophe, one of the police officers speaking at the conference. Unrolling his slideshow, with the help of “all the examples not to be done“, Christophe assures him”people, you and me, have been much less vigilant since the end of lockdowns. We feel more secure, but it’s completely wrong“.
Avoid cash payments
Among the bad reflexes of the elderly, the speaker asks the question of the usefulness of bank withdrawals. “There is no point in withdrawing the entire pension at the beginning of the month. Today, contactless payments are in effect in all brands and cash is not really used much anymore.“insists Christophe, in front of his video projector. If a study carried out by Panorabanques states that the French do not make more than two withdrawals per month from distributors, the contactless reflex is sometimes not really integrated by the elderly in the room, who listen attentively to the speaker of the day.
“People are much less vigilant since the end of lockdowns. We feel more secure, but it’s completely wrong“, Christophe, sergeant of the national police
An awareness campaign “above all to prevent“
Camille Blanc-Jouvan, safety prevention officer, is satisfied with this small conference organized in partnership with the City of Villeurbanne, “we can say that it is a great success. We are here above all to prevent. Today, around thirty participants, out of the 90 that make up the residence, are present. It’s always that taken“.
For her part, Marie-Pierre Leveque, director of the autonomous residences of Jean-Jaurès and Marx Dormoy explains being “obliged to involve professionals. Otherwise, they do not listen to me while I repeat these gestures without ceases “. No later than Tuesday noon, she is”went to experience ringing at a resident’s house. He opened the door for me without even wondering who was behind the door. It could have been anyone!“, she notes with concern.
“Still at noon, I went to experiment with ringing the bell at a resident’s house. He opened the door for me without even wondering who was behind the door. It could have been anyone! “, Marie-Pierre Leveque, director of the autonomous residences of Jean-Jaurès and Marx Dormoy
The thirty residents present during the session do not hesitate to give their testimony. Everyone has suffered – or knows a third party who has suffered – aggression in recent years. “One day, II came home after my shopping in the rain. I had my umbrella in one hand, my bag in the other and I hadn’t paid attention to the group of young people following me. They snatched my bag slung over my shoulder in front of the residence, then ran away “, explains a resident to the whole room. The right reflex in this kind of situation? “Immediately oppose the credit card“, according to one of the police officers.
Older people less vigilant and more vulnerable
René, former policeman and resident of Jean-Jaurès confides not having ” never really had bad experiences with these thugs since i retired. I especially came here to understand the new techniques, and who are these criminals “. And when the question of the profile of criminals is asked to Christophe, the latter is rather very vague. “There aren’t really any: tall blond, little redhead. You have to be vigilant all the time with everyone, without getting into extreme paranoia”, he says with a smile, but without giving us more details. Martine, a septuagenarian, insists for her part on “the much greater aggressiveness of residents since the end of confinement. We are verbally assaulted. And between the words and the physical, there is only one step “, according to her.
The challenge is therefore to raise awareness, as much as possible, of these seniors. It’s Udo good booster shot“, admits Jean-Marc at the end of the conference. Before adding:”There are techniques that we do not know and which are particularly innovative. Anyone can fool us by pretending to be the police or any City agent. ” Stories that are reminiscent of several scams from the past year including Lyon Capital had taken over.
Read also: Lyon: false plumber, false neighbor, 3 men arrested after 28 thefts by ruse
Read also: Near Lyon: disguised as a fake plumber, he swindled the elderly
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