THOUSAND OAKS : Mail Carriers to Aid in Safety Program

Beginning Wednesday, postal carriers will look out for senior citizens and disabled residents who live alone in the Conejo Valley.

Under the program, small stickers will be affixed to the mailboxes of elderly or housebound residents, said Sharon Rasmussen, a spokeswoman for County Supervisor Madge L. Schaefer. Schaefer, who is running for reelection in the 2nd District, is donating about $400 from her campaign funds for brochures and stickers.

If mail carriers notice something amiss or unusual at the residence, they will contact the Senior Services Advisor’s office in Thousand Oaks, and the private nonprofit agency will attempt to reach the person, Rasmussen said.

If the agency cannot contact the resident, it will refer the matter to the friend or relative listed as the person’s emergency contact.

“Although the program is primarily designed to work as a precautionary measure to ensure personal safety, we hope it adds a sense of safety and reassurance to those who live alone,” Schaefer said.

At first, Schaefer worried that the sticker might mark the residents as easy targets for crime, Rasmussen said. But residents participating in the program will be advised on where to place the stickers so they are not easily visible except to mail carriers, she said.

No fees are charged for the program, which is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Postal Service and the Senior Services Advisor’s office.

The Conejo Valley program, which will primarily serve residents of Thousand Oaks, is based on a service offered for the last five years by the Ventura Parks and Recreation Department in Ventura.

Registration forms and program information are available through local post offices and the Senior Services Advisor’s Office at Goebel Senior Center, 110 S. Conejo School Road, Thousand Oaks. For information, call (805) 495-6250.

People may register for the program in person Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Senior Expo in the auditorium at California Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.