Wednesday, May 1, 2024
The Gatesville Police Department is rolling out a new program that provides weekly phone calls to elderly residents who live alone.
Through the Care Call Program, volunteers with Gatesville police will make regularly scheduled phone calls to residents to check in on their welfare, offer assistance, or provide a chance for simple conversation.
The program is a free service that requires a prearranged day and time for participants to receive regular phone calls. If a resident needs help or does not answer, a police officer will stop by the resident’s home to check on them.
“It is designed for seniors living within the city limits of Gatesville with a working telephone, and who have the cognitive ability to participate in the program,” Gatesville PD wrote on their Facebook page. “Exceptions can be made for participants based on serious health issues, age, and or limited family contact.
According to Gatesville PD’s Facebook post, if a concern is expressed, the volunteer will determine the nature of the concern and what kind of response is necessary. Unanswered calls or busy signals are called back before an officer is dispatched to the location for a welfare check.
Those interested in joining the Care Call Program can call the Gatesville Police Department at 254-865-2226.
The program comes after police announced an investigation involving the home break-in and assault of an elderly person in early December. Police are still actively seeking a suspect in this case. They encourage anyone with information to contact Gatesville PD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 254-865-2226 or submit tips anonymously to Centex Crime Stoppers at 254-865-8477 or online at centexcrimestoppers.org.
