Pine Ridge, SC (Diana Nation) - Pine Ridge Police Chief Keith Parks and his department are proud to announce a working partnership with the Pine Ridge South Congaree Senior Center. The Police Department wants the senior residents to know that they have not been forgotten and the new R.E.A.C.H. program puts the seniors’ needs back into perspective.
R.E.A.C.H. stands for Respond, Evaluate, Act, Care, Help. “A lot of times the senior citizen population gets back tracked and the Pine Ridge Police Department wants to make sure that their voices are heard and that they are checked on a regular basis,” said Chief Parks.
The R.E.A.C.H. program will consist of Police Department personnel and the Senior Center staff working together for the benefit of the older citizens of the community. The officers will conduct workshops with the seniors on fraud, identity theft, scams and safety tips for their homes. “As we know, all too often criminals look for elderly people to take advantage of,” said Chief Parks. “The R.E.A.C.H. program will better equip our seniors with effective tools and measures to prevent themselves from becoming victims.”
In addition to these workshops, the Victim’s Advocate from the Pine Ridge Police Department, as well as other police department personnel, will stop by and see the area’s seniors at their homes just to check on them. The chief wants to make sure that they are doing okay. “Many times, seniors don’t have anybody to talk to,” Chief Parks said. “This new program will give them an opportunity to talk with law enforcement and senior center personnel at various times.”
The Pine Ridge Police Department met with Pine Ridge South Congaree Senior Center Director Beverly Smith and she welcomed the collaboration. She also felt that this was a good program and would benefit the Town of Pine Ridge. The police department will use the Pine Ridge South Congaree Senior Center, which is located at 1123 Courtney Dr., West Columbia, SC 29172, to host meetings and workshops with the seniors. There is no cost to participate in these seminars.
If you know of any senior citizens in the Pine Ridge community that would be interested in the R.E.A.C.H. program, please contact the Senior Center at 803-755-1274 or the Pine Ridge Police Department at 803-755-2500.
