McDevitt organises a Public meeting following burglaries on the elderly in South Belfast

Thursday 25 February 2010

South Belfast SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt has organised a public meeting in light of the recent burglaries on elderly people in the South Belfast area.

Representatives from the PSNI, Age Concern Help the Aged NI and Belfast City Council have been invited to attend the public meeting which will take place on Thursday 11th March at 7pm in St Brides Parish Hall, Derryvolgie Avenue, Belfast.

Conall said, "This is now becoming a weekly occurrence in this city. Criminals are targeting the most vulnerable in our community, robbing and attacking older people. The attack may only take minutes but the fear and scars can last for a very long time."

"The police need to target those attacking older people. The Executive also needs to look at how it can provide more practical support for older people under attack. Whilst there is advice available to older people concerned about their safety, there is not a lot in terms of practical security measures."

"This meeting is an opportunity for concerned residents to speak to local representatives and voice their concerns on the latest burglaries. I would urge as many people as possible to come along and be apart of the community response to these attacks.

"It is important that we pull together as a community and work alongside the statutory agencies to ensure that these attacks on the elderly members of our community are put to an end."