Senior Crime Busters

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

Developed by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services Elder Abuse Coalition, Senior Crime Busters is a proactive elder fraud and crime prevention program that provides tips to seniors on how to stay safe, avoid financial exploitation, other scams, as well as abuse. This new outreach effort bring officials from county and local law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations in Westchester together for the first time to pool their resources and expertise while presenting and speaking to various senior groups. They have created and marketed a Senior Crime Buster helpline which people can call to book a program for their group or to receive additional information. The helpline is staffed by the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection (WCDCP). Once a presentation is scheduled, the WCDCP arranges for speakers to handle the event. The speakers are selected from a list of members of the Elder Abuse Coalition. Additionally, the office assembles information packets that are distributed to the seniors at each presentation. The contents of each packet are tailored to the needs of the particular audience. In a typical program, one presenter discusses financial and consumer issues relevant to seniors. A second presenter then follows-up and discusses relevant public safety issues. Seniors learn about the most common scams, tell-tale techniques perpetrators use, and who to alert if they identify a scam or are victimized. They also learn how to protect their physical safety in such everyday situations such as shopping at the mall or walking in the park. Through such education, the county helps seniors learn how to recognize and avoid crimes before they occur.