Maintenance director Randy Whitfield talks about a lockbox Thursday, February 4, 2016, at Colonial Center assisted living facility. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

When Winifred Miller isn’t wearing her large amethyst gold ring, it’s locked away in her private lockbox in her room at Genesis Healthcare Colonial Center.

The nursing home resident was one of the first at Colonial to have one of the boxes installed in her room. It’s a heavy duty plastic box that is secured by four screws into a wall. The top of the box creates an extra shelf for the resident to use for books or knick knacks. The bottom has a locked, pull-out drawer. The key is attached to a bracelet that Miller can wear. If she loses the key, Colonial administrators have a duplicate key locked away.

Citizens First Bank partnered with the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation to fund the Senior Crimestoppers program for residents living in Colonial. The program was officially launched Thursday at Colonial.

Senior Crimestoppers is a program in nursing homes and assisted living facilities to prevent crimes against seniors and create zero tolerance for crime in those facilities. The program is done at no cost to the participating facilities. In this case, Citizens First Bank is picking up the tab, which includes personal lockboxes for all residents who want them, cash rewards up to $1,000 paid anonymously for any information about wrongdoing of any kind. There is a hotline at 1-800-590-5850 to leave tips anonymously.

“It is a very proud honor to be partnering with one another,” Colonial Administrator Jessica Lopez said during a ceremony in the dining room Thursday.

The facility doesn’t have a problem with criminal activity, Lopez said. But she saw the value in partnering with Senior Crimestoppers and Citizens First Bank to provide the program to the residents. One of the program’s components, Wishes Come True, provides an annual $250 check to the facility to be spent on something special for the residents.

Lopez plans to buy a Wii gaming system for the residents to help keep them active and young, she said.

George Clinard, vice president of the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation, said the program reduces crime in partner facilities by 94 percent.

Todd Kanipe, president and chief executive officer of Citizens First, said the program provides the bank an opportunity to give back to the citizens in the community the bank serves.

“Banking is more than just making loans and taking deposits,” he said. “We feel like it’s important to give back to the community we operate in and help improve the quality of life.”

The bank has also partnered with a care facility in Glasgow, he said.

Residents enjoy knowing they now have a box to lock up their belongings whether it’s jewelry, photos or letters from a late spouse, Lopez said.

“I have a pretty nice ring and a few inexpensive pieces of jewelry,” Miller said. “I think it’s worth it.”

— Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.