Timely Help for Elders

It takes an especially heartless and cowardly criminal to prey upon the elderly. Yet crime against older members of our community is a serious problem, increasing as the senior population grows larger.

While there is no way to make aging bodies stronger or quicker, a bit of education can make an older person far less likely to be victimized.

That’s the thinking behind the Senior Crime Prevention Program, created two years ago and operated by the Ventura County district attorney’s office. The program uses place mats and prescription cards to give senior citizens tips on how to avoid becoming crime victims.

Last week the Senior Crime Prevention Program was honored with a Challenger Award from the California State Assn. of Counties. It is one of only 11 programs in the state to be so honored, selected from 127 entries from 31 counties. Award winners will attend a conference next month in Anaheim to present their programs to representatives of counties that do not have senior crime prevention and other community resource programs.

“The district attorney’s office has a number of programs that do good work in supporting older victims, whether they’ve experienced robbery, fraud or elder abuse,” says Colleen House, executive director of the local Area Agency on Aging. “They have people in victim services who are specially trained to be very sensitive to whatever may be going on in an older person’s life.”

The Senior Crime Prevention Program was established in 1995 based on recommendations from Ventura County’s Elder Abuse Council and with approval from the Board of Supervisors. It is run by two employees in the district attorney’s victim services division.

The program includes presentations to senior groups, crime prevention handbooks and audiotapes for the visually impaired. Seniors who receive food from Meals on Wheels receive tips on their place mats, and some pharmacies distribute tips on prescription cards. All of the materials are available in Spanish as well as English.

Old age brings enough challenges without the added fear of being victimized by criminals. Congratulations to the people behind the Senior Crime Prevention Program--and to everyone in Ventura County who is working to make life safer and more secure for senior citizens, thank you.