Henderson Police give seniors a sense of security

Dan Kulin

Friday, Feb. 7, 2003 | 2:47 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 8, 2003

Barbara Armano loves living in the Don Dawson Court apartments off Palo Verde Drive in Henderson, where her one-bedroom apartment is within walking distance of the market.

But, she says, lately more homeless peopleare wandering through her complex, which has her a little concerned and prompted her to apply for the home security improvements the city police department is offering.

Armano, 76, said "one good yank" was all that was needed to open her old screen door. But the new screen door with metal bars and a solid lock that was installed Thursday is a different story. The retired vocational nurse also has a new motion-sensitive light outside her front door and window locks that keep the window from opening more than a few inches. In all, the security enhancements to Armano's apartment cost about $194.

The money to pay for the improvements came from a $50,000 federal grant Henderson Police are using to bring additional security and peace of mind to some low-income senior citizens.

The grant pays for new metal-barred screen doors, additional window and door locks, and motion-sensitive outdoor lights, plus the cost of installing them on seniors' homes.

"They're very minor changes but they make a real difference in the security of the people living there," Henderson Police Officer David Wilson said. "With seniors we try to make their complexes as safe as possible."

Since November, Henderson Police have made the homes of 50 seniors more secure, Wilson said. He estimates the $50,000 will be enough to make a total of 150 homes safer.

Kathleen Rohr, 78, has lived in Don Dawson Court apartments for two years and said she feels safer since police helped make her home more secure.

Her old screen door was "falling to pieces," she said. Her new metal-barred screen door "really does make you feel all that more secure."

Wilson said there have been problems with thefts and some break-ins at the apartment complex, which he blamed on teenagers cutting through the complex on their way to or from nearby Basic High School.

To qualify for the grant-funded security enhancements, a person must be over 55 and have an annual income under $23,700. A couple must have a combined annual income under $27,120, Wilson said.

For more information or to apply for the home security improvements, call Wilson at 565-8933.

Money for the improvements is available on a first-come first-served basis, he said.

Wilson said police have contracted with Home Depot to purchase the materials and install the security improvements.