The purpose of the council is to educate and protect the seniors living in Brentwood and offer a program of a shared community response to a growing problem in America: senior crime. The council will be composed of the triad of law enforcement, community groups and senior citizens. Its focus is to make seniors more aware of the services available to them throughout the community and offer them a safety net to protect them from becoming victims of crime.
About 31 percent of seniors live alone, and the group 85 and older is the fastest-growing segment. In 2011, the first of the baby boomers will turn 65, and by 2030, one in five Americans will be over 65. This fast-growing demographic has encouraged con artists to focus their scams on this group. The Triad Council will work to counter this trend by educating seniors about the scams and how to report them when they’re discovered.
“The senior community is growing in Brentwood,” said Lt. Doug Silva of the Brentwood Police Department. “There are more than 12,000 residents over the age of 55, so we believe it is important to have a program like this available to protect the elderly in this community and reduce their fears of crime. Everyone should feel safe in Brentwood.”
While much of the focus of the National Triad Program revolves around crime prevention, the local 12-member council will also incorporate the educational aspect of informing seniors and their caregivers of the area’s myriad programs, including emergency preparedness for those with special needs, Adopt-a-Senior, home safety awareness and driver safety. From the law enforcement perspective, seniors will be given information about how to protect themselves from financial and physical abuse, Internet and telemarketing scams, and how not to be a target of crime.
In the coming months, the council will develop and distribute a survey to determine what types of programs are of greatest interest to the senior community.
For further information, call Silva at 925-809-7712.
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