Protecting the elderly in rural communities

[Malbekh]

There's nothing I find more depressing than these attacks that are occurring against isolated communities, particularly the elderly. Now I'm making an assumption here, but I would imagine that most of these attacks occur at night and are principally motivated by cash.

Would it be possible to set up a scheme whereby those that are particularly vulnerable could avail of their own time lock safe, say 12 hours in duration, that they could place their money in overnight? You could provide signs or labels to go up on doors and windows indicating that the owner is availing of the scheme to deter would be robbers.

The safes would need to be secured in place by bolts etc. The cost involved could potentially be neutral if it prevented said crimes, as they take up a large amount of time and resources, not to mention the trauma that such attacks cause to the victims and their relatives.

[Marcos the black]

There's nothing I find more depressing than these attacks that are occurring against isolated communities, particularly the elderly. Now I'm making an assumption here, but I would imagine that most of these attacks occur at night and are principally motivated by cash.

Would it be possible to set up a scheme whereby those that are particularly vulnerable could avail of their own time lock safe, say 12 hours in duration, that they could place their money in overnight? You could provide signs or labels to go up on doors and windows indicating that the owner is availing of the scheme to deter would be robbers.

The safes would need to be secured in place by bolts etc. The cost involved could potentially be neutral if it prevented said crimes, as they take up a large amount of time and resources, not to mention the trauma that such attacks cause to the victims and their relatives.

They'd just be advertising the fact that there's money on the premises and the scumbags would just hold them hostage until timelock were off....
I agree with you though, it is a particularly horrible crime. A trauma like that can has serious health, both physical and mental, effects on the elderly living alone. Should be a minimum sentence for these types of crimes, and strictly enforced.

[Propforward]

There's nothing I find more depressing than these attacks that are occurring against isolated communities, particularly the elderly. Now I'm making an assumption here, but I would imagine that most of these attacks occur at night and are principally motivated by cash.

Would it be possible to set up a scheme whereby those that are particularly vulnerable could avail of their own time lock safe, say 12 hours in duration, that they could place their money in overnight? You could provide signs or labels to go up on doors and windows indicating that the owner is availing of the scheme to deter would be robbers.

The safes would need to be secured in place by bolts etc. The cost involved could potentially be neutral if it prevented said crimes, as they take up a large amount of time and resources, not to mention the trauma that such attacks cause to the victims and their relatives.

Sadly i don't think it would be a deterrent - a secure personal safe is very unaffordable given that you would have to embed a thick metal box securely into a supporting wall - the scumbags would start arriving with JCBs or Dynamite damaging the house - or they may stay longer with the old people and cause them more trauma and abuse.

I think that our celtic tiger shredded family and community units need to take some action to ensure that old people have the best support in place and rural gardai should increase patrols of old peoples homes at night

[goosebump]

Another consequence of the blight of one off housing.

This really is an intractable problem, and I don't think minimum sentencing will work here any more than it will work any where else.

Even with technologies like panic buttons, the thugs could have 30 minutes to beat up on the householder and be on their way.

One use for all these empty estate houses we have would be to offer them to pensioners. They could keep their rural homes and do their bit of gardening and pottering around, but sleep, and store their valuables, somewhere a bit more secure.

I can't see any solution in which the pensioners continue to live alone and at a remove from emergency help.

[cactusflower]

Its the isolation that's the problem. A good sharp toothed dog or two is better than a safe imo.

A lot of older people are happy to move into sheltered housing in local villages. We built some here and it seems to work well. There are loads of nice warm houses on the ege of villages now, empty and unused .....

[b.a. baracus]

Another consequence of the blight of one off housing.

This really is an intractable problem, and I don't think minimum sentencing will work here any more than it will work any where else.

Even with technologies like panic buttons, the thugs could have 30 minutes to beat up on the householder and be on their way.

One use for all these empty estate houses we have would be to offer them to pensioners. They could keep their rural homes and do their bit of gardening and pottering around, but sleep, and store their valuables, somewhere a bit more secure.

I can't see any solution in which the pensioners continue to live alone and at a remove from emergency help.

And who picks up the tab? The taxpayer who is already 25bn in the hole?
Not going to work.
Maybe these people want to live in the country. Attacks such as the one in Longford are an outrage but moving every pensioner into a town or village is not going to solve the problem.

[Horses]

The government should introduce a gun card system. A free hand gun for every citizen over 55. If they were serious about protecting the elderly but they're not.