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Bellevue PD Partners with Senior Coalition to Improve Service to Senior Citizens

The Bellevue Police Department has announced a new program to help get services to senior citizens in the city. BPD is frequently called by a senior citizen if they’ve fallen or have a similar problem. The PD responds, assists the citizen, and then leaves only to return several more times. Together with the Bellevue Senior Coalition, BPD has implemented a new procedure to help improve services to the city's vulnerable adults.

Sergeant Tim Melvin, along with Chief Stacey, is a member of the Bellevue Senior Coalition. Melvin explained, "when it comes to adults a lot of people don’t call for services in the same way they would for children. We recognize the fact that there are a lot of vulnerable adults, especially numbers of seniors in the community that need help. Our goal is to get them in touch with the services they need. Until now people didn’t have any kind of system in place."

Effective immediately, an officer who responds to a call to assist a senior citizen will fill out a special form if they have concerns about the person’s medical or psychological well-being. The form will then provide documentation to help the PD notify either Adult Protective Services or the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, who will follow up with the citizen and/or family and friends.

BPD has been working with the Senior Coalition, city officials, civic and business leaders, Sarpy County 911 and the Bellevue Senior Center for several months to develop the new procedure. Chief Stacey said he’s "hopeful that Bellevue’s seniors will experience a greater quality of life because of it".

Photo: Ann Bradley, Director of the Bellevue Senior Center with Chief John Stacey