Vigilant Seniors

The project “Vigilant Seniors”, implemented by The General Directorate of Bucharest Police, Romania, in partnership with the local public authorities and the NGO aimed to reduce the risk of old people being victimized by creating abilities regarding the access to official information and simple self-defence techniques. Being better informed, the old people will know how to avoid dangerous situations; the simple self-defence techniques will help possible victims to gain time to react and alert the authorities or to find help from the possible witnesses.

The prevention police officers, in partnership with the social assistants, IT and self-defence specialists, took part in the direct meetings with the old people, organized in the senior clubs, in areas of districts 1 to 6. The sociologists knew the beneficiaries’ need of safety and information and could offer a feedback and an adjustment of the activities to the proper level of understanding for the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries took part in a final evaluation of the acquired knowledge and also in a socializing and information sending activity in a pleasant, protective environment at “The Senior Safety Ball”; they disseminated the information to other possible victim groups (100 old persons not initially included in the project and children from schools).

The evaluation of the project was made on official data statistics of the Capital Police, but also on applying sociological methods which measured the utility and the attractiveness of the project and the way the fear of crime evolved.

The Project ran from March 2016 till December 2016.
Last review: January 2020.