ATLANTA — Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond and City Solicitor's Office hosted their second Senior Citizen Public Safety Event Monday morning.
Atlanta City leaders gathered at the At-Promise Center to educate senior communities in Zone 5 of Atlanta about personal and public safety concerns to prevent them from becoming victims of a crime.
The series of Senior Citizens Public Safety events will occur in each of the six APD Zones over the coming months.
Topics discussed included crime prevention, safety concerns for drivers 55 and over, natural disasters, fire safety, cyber/telemarketing threats, and the increasing risk of commercial harassment by investors targeting the senior community.
Atlanta Police Department Major Fraud Unit Commander Sergeant Paul E. Cooper touched on what seniors can do to prevent falling victim to cyber and telemarketing threats.
- Slow down and take time to think and ask questions.
- Talk to someone you can trust if you find yourself in this situation.
- Don't send cash or gift cards.
- Never share or offer personal information to people you do not know.
Sergeant Cooper explains that it's important to report these situations if they do happen.
"Don't be embarrassed if this happens to you. That's what we get a lot, once we get involved. We realize that these older citizens lost a ton of money. It's because once it started, they were too embarrassed to testify," he said.
Councilmember Bond's full statement over the Senior Citizen Public Safety Event is listed below:
"Our Senior community is being targeted at an alarming rate by shameless individuals using predatory tactics. Comercial Harassment and Cyber Security threats toward our seniors are a huge problem in our city. This series of events is designed to educate and empower seniors with information and resources so they don't fall victim to these crimes and other crimes of opportunity. I am excited to partner with the City Solicitors Office in order to provide some relief in this area."