FARMINGTON — Franklin Savings Bank has joined with the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation and other bankers to improve the safety and quality of life for residents of veterans homes.

Nationwide, the SHCPF has teamed with the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America to ensure that 40,000 veterans living in 160 state veteran nursing homes in the U.S. are able to live out their lives in safe environments free from the daily fear of crime, abuse, neglect, hostility and deprivation of personal freedom, as provided through the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation’s Senior Crimestoppers program.

“Our veterans were looking out for us when it mattered. Now it’s our turn to look out for them,” said Timothy J. Thompson, senior vice president and treasurer at Franklin Savings Bank.

“It’s important to us that veterans are taken care of and we are excited that we can help,” he said. Thompson also said that Maine has among the highest number of veterans homes in the nation.

Franklin Savings Bank is granting the SHCPF a loan of $500,000, which will be used to purchase a bond, from which one percent of the bond’s proceeds over seven years will go to the program.

Senior Crimestoppers is built on a zero tolerance-to-crime platform that is maintained for the residents, staff, management and visitors. Each resident is provided their own personal lock box to safeguard valuables. In addition, cash rewards up to $1,000 are posted on every crime incident that is reported to the SCS call center. Rewards are paid anonymously to tipsters having information about the crime incident reported.

In addition, all facilities in the program display a membership charter and are provided regular in-service training for residents, staff and management together with employee oath sheets, yard signs and quarterly reporting of crime prevention status.

Because of Franklin Savings Bank, each veteran resident will be provided a specially designed veterans personal lock box. In addition, SHCPF will provide each state veterans nursing home with its annual Time of Your Life video exhibit and each facility will receive an annual cash contribution for a Wish Comes True grant to be given to select veterans.