Elderly people warned to be vigilant as winter nears

Gardaí are advising everyone, but especially the elderly, to be vigilant of unscrupulous individuals who are currently targeting homes and siphoning off home heating oil with the onset of winter. That was the stark message from Sergeant Noel Harraghy, crime prevention officer, Cavan, Monaghan, during a recent lecture in the Johnston Library organised by Cavan County Council and the community gardaí in Cavan as part of Social Inclusion Week. Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Sergeant Harraghy said the talk was based on home security, to be weary of scams that are in existence and keeping an eye on elderly neighbours. With temperatures dropping, many homes and buildings such as schools and community centres are filling up on oil. “Home heating oil theft is a major issue for gardaí at the moment, especially from schools and community centres,” he stated. Such premises are easy targets if the property security is not in place, Sergeant Harraghy claimed. Usually there are not many people about them and the thieves have all night to do it. Trucks can pull up behind these buildings and no one would notice them, he said. He was aware of three premises that had already been the targets of these individuals and he warned people to be vigilant about such thefts. “If a tank is full it will be drained.” It would only take about 10 to 15 minutes to drain a tank and with temperatures dropping there is a high demand for this oil, he added. The crime prevention officer advised people to secure their oil tanks as well as they can and where possible move them into a garage. “Out of sight, out of mind,” he said. He also recommended that people should not fill their tanks up - only get them half filled. It may be awkward, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, he added. Other topics covered on the night included the importance of lights around a house, secure boundaries for those living in a country area, keeping doors closed and locked when the house is unattended, and the importance of knowing what visitors are calling to the house. He also urged people to be wary of giving out information over the phone or on computer as well as being alert to lottery scams and bogus emails. Sergeant Harraghy said he is available to give talks in Cavan and Monaghan if groups get in touch with him. He is coming back to Cavan next month to address the ICA. The idea behind Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch is that ‘no one is left out’. Community Alert is the rural version of Neighbourhood Watch and their functions are the same. There is also an alliance between Community Alert and Muintir na Tire. Concluding Sergeant Harraghy said both groups play an important role on crime prevention as they look after those who may not always be included.