Opposition members on Dundee City Council want smart doorbells provided to sheltered housing tenants as a security measure.
The Liberal Democrat group say the devices would help protect elderly people from scams and unwanted cold calling.
They want the city to follow East Renfrewshire Council, which has already distributed 36 smart doorbells through such an initiative.
The devices come with a camera that is then connected to a phone or tablet through an app allowing residents to see who is outside their door.
The East Renfrewshire doorbells are fitted free of charge to tenant’s homes.
Those who become eligible are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Broughty Ferry councillor Craig Duncan and West End councillor Fraser Macpherson have asked Dundee City Council’s Head of Community Safety and Protection, Tom Stirling, whether a similar scheme could work in the city.
‘Liaise with East Renfrewshire’
Mr Stirling said: “It is not something that we have yet deployed in terms of deterring scams through our trading standards team.
“I’ll ask the team to liaise with colleagues in East Renfrewshire to find out more about their scheme, including how they funded it.
“They do have limited numbers of call monitoring devices that can be used to deter telephone scams.”
Councillor Duncan said: “I am pleased Dundee City Council will look further at this initiative to have the best possible home security for older residents.
“Whilst the majority of people who knock on your door are likely to be genuine, we have had instances across Dundee of rogue traders and other bogus callers.
“The video doorbells initiative further helps to allow older tenants to remain independent and safer in their own homes, giving them and their families greater peace of mind.”
‘Nuisance call blockers’
His Liberal Democrat colleague, Mr Macpherson, added: “A smart doorbell gives a householder added security to keep their home both secure and safe.
“It allows the householder to see who is knocking at their door without answering it and say no to cold callers without having to engage in conversation.
“Given the on-going concerns about scams, there seems to be a lot of merit in Dundee considering rolling this out to older folk.
“East Renfrewshire Council is also using its trading standards team to install nuisance call phone blockers free of charge to vulnerable residents, where a resident is receiving high numbers of nuisance calls and this is another good initiative that Dundee City Council could be doing more of for older residents.”
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