Bhubaneswar, June 28: Saturday's robbery at a senior citizen's house in Sailashree Vihar has again raised an alarm regarding the safety of the elderly.

The incident, however, has triggered a face-between between police and senior citizens.

While the cops claim that most senior citizens ignore their safety instructions, the elders want the police to do more to ensure they are safe.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said senior citizens, especially those living in isolated areas, should take extensive security measures. These include the installation of closed-circuit cameras, having a peephole and safety chain on the front door.

"Senior citizens should not let anyone enter their houses without a valid reason," said a police official.

On the other hand, the senior citizens want cops to introduce a mobile-based application for their safety.

"The police launched a mobile-based app for women called Mo Saathi through which users can send alerts. A similar app for senior citizens would benefit us," said Arunodaya Jena, a senior citizen.

They also want the police to meet them twice in a month to discuss their problems. "Crimes such as burglary, robbery and snatching have become extremely frequent in the city. The police should ensure the safety of senior citizens as they are vulnerable to such crimes," said Krupasindhu Sahoo, the president of Federation of Senior Citizens Association of Odisha.

On Saturday, three youths looted ornaments and cash from the house of 65-year-old Jyotsnarani Singh in the posh Sailashree Vihar at gunpoint. Police said Jyotsnarani opened the door without verifying the purpose of their visit.

In May, cops found the body of 62-year-old Nalini Das from her residence in Forest Park. Das, a social worker, was staying alone at her residence for the past several years.

The senior citizen security cell of the police is now functioning at 10 police stations here -Chandrashekharpur, Nayapalli, Capital, Saheed Nagar, Kharavela Nagar, Khandagiri, Airfield, Badagada, Mancheswar and Lingaraj.

A police official said more than 1,600 senior citizens had registered with these police stations so far. Around 75,000 senior citizens live in the city.