World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15)

Do you need training and resources to identify and respond to elder abuse and financial exploitation in your community? 

If you do, the U.S. Department of Justice has developed interactive investigative tools and resources such as officer checklists, sample protocols, state statutes, resource maps, and training videos available at no cost to you. The Elder Justice Initiative has gathered its law enforcement resources and those developed by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) on their Elder Justice website. Following is a small sample of the content that is available 24 hours a day at your fingertips: 

Tools

• Elder Abuse Guide for Law Enforcement (EAGLE): EAGLE is a web module for law enforcement to better respond to elder abuse cases, quickly locate resources in the area, and engage in training activities.
• Senior Abuse Financial Tracking and Accounting Tool (SAFTA): This easy-to-use Excel tool provides a simplified method for identifying suspicious financial patterns to facilitate the prosecution of financial exploitation of older adults, and it includes a subpoena template.

Seminars

• Financial Crimes Against Seniors Seminars: These seminars are already scheduled across the country, but the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) will consider communities’ requests for additional delivery of the training.

Training

• The Beat Podcasts: Six law enforcement professionals share their insights on the role of law enforcement in elder abuse cases, collecting evidence in cases of neglect and of physical or sexual abuse, and recognizing that financial exploitation is a crime.
• Roll Call Videos: Identifying and Responding to Elder Abuse: An Officer’s Role: This is a series of six roll call videos designed for patrol officers to quickly recognize and respond to various types of elder abuse.
• EJI Law Enforcement Webinars: The Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) has a series of webinars specifically for law enforcement officers working with elder abuse crimes.
• Responding to Elder Abuse: What Law Enforcement Should Know: This 15-minute video describes what law enforcement needs to know about elder abuse.
• Finding the Right Fit: Decision-Making Supports and Guardianship: This is a one-hour online guardianship training for professionals and the general public.

Guides

• Legal Issues Related to Elder Abuse: A Pocket Guide for Law Enforcement: This comprehensive guide for law enforcement responding to elder abuse includes a list of alternative charges and explanations for aspects of elder abuse such as powers of attorney and other legal terms law enforcement needs to know.
• Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Resource Guide: This guide presents resources for professionals, including law enforcement (pp. 22–23), as well as resources for community outreach.
• Financial Crimes Against the Elderly Problem-Oriented Guide for Police: This comprehensive 88-page guide for law enforcement addresses the problem of financial crimes against older adults.
• Physical and Emotional Abuse of the Elderly Problem-Oriented Guide for Police: This 64-page publication guides law enforcement in responding to physical and emotional abuse of older adults.

Case Studies

• Elder Abuse Stories: The Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) compiled a list of elder abuse stories that demonstrate how various forms of elder abuse can manifest.

If you have additional elder justice questions or training needs beyond those listed above, please visit the full Elder Justice website for a wealth of information, from help educating your community members about scams and recognizing abuse to assisting in the successful prosecution of those who prey on our senior citizens.
Please join the COPS Office and the U.S. Department of Justice in raising awareness and sharing available resources on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to improve the safety and security of our rapidly aging population.