Schoolchildren in Wells are decorating special Christmas cards this month to help keep their grandparents and elderly neighbours safe from distraction burglars. The cards are the latest part of Avon and Somerset Police’s ongoing campaign to disrupt and catch the criminals who prey on the vulnerability and trust of elderly victims. The festive cards have a blank front for the children to decorate and a blank space to write their personal message inside.
Also printed on the inside of the card are some simple crime prevention messages to help keep out distraction burglars as well as some useful phone numbers for the police and other agencies on the back. The idea is that the child decorates and then delivers the card to their grandparents or an elderly neighbour in time for Christmas. Wells Police Community Support Officer Kayley Anderson is talking to the children about the campaign.
She said: “This is a simple idea but should be fun for the children and will mean they are helping their elderly relatives and neighbours, and of course the police. “It is another way of getting some simple crime prevention messages across ‘“ we hope that it coming from a young relative will be a very impactive way to do it.” The cards are targeted at nine and 10-year-olds and have been sent out to primary, junior and middle schools across Avon and Somerset.
The card design features Dan the Distraction Burglar and Mrs Windermere ‘“ both characters from a Simpsons-style cartoon which the police created to encourage children to look after their Nan and their neighbour. Schools have also been sent packs of ‘Dan’ stickers for the children to use. Dan follows hot on the heels of other successful Avon and Somerset cartoons ‘Car Thief Keith’ and ‘Tent Thief Tony’ which aim to get crime prevention messages across in an amusing and memorable way.