In an extract from her first monthly newsletter of the New Year, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne writes:
“This week, I am inviting applications for my Community Safety/Safer in Sussex fund, which supports local community groups that actively help reduce or prevent crime in Sussex.
“Grants of up to £5,000 are available for suitable projects. Since the fund was launched I have allocated over £1m to more than 200 local crime reduction and community safety initiatives. You can find out more about the scheme here and you can watch short video stories about previous projects here
“My commitment to tackle elder exploitation and its impact on victims continues this week.
“Criminals are grooming our older residents in order to defraud them, and they are targeting the oldest, most isolated and most vulnerable. That’s why I have funded two new Victim Support Caseworkers to support Sussex Police’s Operation Signature fraud prevention campaign.
“Our new caseworkers, Sarah and Lisa, will offer practical and emotional support to medium- and high-risk fraud victims and those liable to be targeted. As well as advice on staying safe, their help may also include installing call-blocking equipment to screen out unwanted calls.
“You can watch and hear from Sarah and Lisa and their colleagues and find out more about elder exploitation in this short video here.
Source: Police and Crime Commissioner’s newsletter January 2017