Community Policing Awards: Finalist - Boca Raton, Florida Police Services Department

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Community Policing Case Studies with IACP/ITT Night Vision Community Policing Award

The Problem
As calls for service increased among the elderly population, officers looked for resources to assist residents but often did not know how to help. Concerned neighbors and family living out-of-state also contacted Boca Raton Police Services Department. Though in most cases no actual crime occurred, quality of life issues, such as failing health, isolation, depression and competency were issues. Social service agencies also highlighted the aging population phenomenon as they sought assistance in aiding these citizens. Further, crimes against citizens over the age of 60 rose dramatically in the last several years. In response to these issues, an initiative to establish an Elder Crime Specialist was undertaken.

The City of Boca Raton has an interesting demographic in that more than 30 percent of the population includes persons over the age of 60. Another demographic in the city is the growing 85+ population, which is currently the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States. It is comprised overwhelmingly of women, and many of them have outlived their spouses, their financial resources and, in some cases, their children and relatives. Additionally, citizens with an Alzheimer or Dementia diagnosis complicate domestic situations. Another problem facing the department is an increasing number of victims who are abused by their caregivers, or caregivers who are incapable of taking care of their loved ones or are battered by the patient. There is a tremendous gap in services for frail and vulnerable adults, unless they are in extreme poverty and qualify for services through the Department of Children and Families.

Due to the increase in the elderly population, and a concentration of people over the age of 80 in the city, it became apparent that vulnerable adults are at an increased risk to become victims of crime, and the department wanted to augment the services provided to this underserved population. Bridging the gap between state legal protection and social service providers is difficult. The Boca Raton Police Services Department endeavored to establish an inhouse position to assist the elderly.

The Solution
During the last year, a three-pronged approach to addressing these issues has been implemented. First, a need for education led to the formation of an innovative new outreach program, entitled The Elder Education Seminar. Second, a new focus on civic responsibility led to dedicated presentations designed to inform both the elderly and their families about challenges faced by the elderly community. The final initiative sponsored by this new position was to serve as a referral resource, focusing on referring victims to various community programs designed to help the elderly population.

The Elder Crime Specialist, initiated in February 2002, is a new addition to the Boca Raton Police Services Department. It is a position that does not exist within any other Palm Beach County law enforcement agency. The position was added to address the increased victimization of the elderly population in Boca Raton. The department has seen an increase in elderly crime within the last two years, especially consumer fraud and financial exploitation. In 2001, 10 percent of crimes committed in the city were against the elderly. In 2002, the percentage jumped to almost 13 percent.

The primary objective in establishing this position was to reach out to the elderly community and provide a police department liaison to the elderly in the city. This allows law enforcement to become proactive in identifying and targeting particular issues that affect city residents. Another goal was to educate the elderly, focusing on awareness and prevention. Telemarketing fraud is the most prevalent crime committed against the elderly, with other types of white-collar crimes following a close second. Making the elderly aware of their own vulnerabilities and the types of crimes that affect their age group is the first step in reducing their risk level.

The department initiated an Elder Education Seminar last summer to educate area seniors about county and state agencies providing free services to people over the age of 60. More than 25 state agencies and non-profit organizations covered topics, such as Medicare fraud, consumer fraud, Alzheimer and Dementia diagnosis and care, elderly abuse, neglect and exploitation, health care facility and health care professional licensing requirement, transportation, fixed incomes, assisted living facilities and nursing home standards and volunteer opportunities. The department completed two seminars with more than 50 attendees per each eight-week session. Education is key in crime prevention, and the Elder Education Seminar seeks to provide the elderly with the information they need to protect themselves and each other.

It also established a free cellular telephone program for city seniors last winter to ensure constant access to 911. Area businesses and high schools have been an integral part of this program by collecting and donating used phones. The Boca Raton Police Explorers clean and program the phones, preparing them for distribution to the elderly community. The Elder Crime Specialist meets with each phone recipient to instruct and educate the elderly about the phone. To date, the department has distributed more than 300 phones to Boca Raton city residents.

In addition, the state-operated Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council partnered with the department to train staff members and residents at assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The state of Florida currently is experiencing a significant nursing shortage, affecting staffing ratios at many long-term care facilities. Unfortunately, crimes such as elderly abuse and neglect are on the rise in these facilities, as staffing shortages continue and traditional nursing positions are turned over to unlicensed certified nursing assistants. Educating the staff about resident rights is imperative, as many caregivers in these facilities are unaware of the special rights that protect residents. Further, staff often is uneducated about behaviors that not only violate these special rights, but also can be prosecuted by state law under the elderly abuse, neglect and exploitation chapter. The Elder Crime Specialist and LTC Ombudsman representative conduct both staff and resident training at 12 facilities in the city.

Home visits to frail and vulnerable elderly people provide intervention and situation assessment as law enforcement becomes aware of these individuals, either through calls for service or a phone call made to the department by a concerned friend or neighbor. Identifying elderly people at risk gives the department an opportunity to protect that person and possibly prevent a future crime. Further, the department actively participates in making certain that quality of life measures are upheld. Sometimes that means a simple phone call to an out-of-state relative. Many times it is as easy as making sure the elderly person has meals delivered to his home. More complicated cases involve elderly people with no family or means of supporting themselves.

Participation in committees such as the State Attorney’s Crimes Against the Elderly Task Force enables the department to interface with other law enforcement agencies and various state and county agencies to share information, discuss prevention and intervention techniques and troubleshoot difficult cases. BRPSD in-service training is held in conjunction with agencies such as Adult Protective Services, Legal Aid Society and the State Attorney’s Office to educate road patrol officers about crimes against the elderly and the importance of detailed incident reports.

The Elder Crime Specialist regularly speaks about crimes against the elderly to homeowner associations, civic organizations, and assisted and independent living facilities. Educating and warning the elderly about recent telemarketing scams and other fraud schemes empowers them to be aware of common ploys to exploit them or their friends.

Community partners include state, county and non-profit agencies charged with providing services to vulnerable adults in Palm Beach County and the City of Boca Raton. Examples include The Department of Children and Families Division of Adult Protective Service, The Area Agency on Aging, The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council, The Department of Elder Affairs, Alzheimer Community Care, The Mae Volen Senior Center and The Center for Information and Crisis Services. These agencies engage in collaborative efforts with local law enforcement to share information and provide resources for elderly residents of the city.

Partnerships with agencies such as Alzheimer Community Care and the Legal Aid Society division greatly assisted the department in mitigating the magnitude of elderly abuse, neglect and exploitation occurring in the city. These agencies have fought aggressively to assist vulnerable adults by responding in unconventional ways, including making home visits to victims.

Local businesses responded with tremendous generosity both financially and by donating their valuable time. Key contributors include Publix Supermarkets and Florida Power and Light which combined to make the holiday food and gift basket drive an overwhelming success. Additionally, several local merchants donated the cell phones that ultimately were distributed to the city’s elderly.

Community input also comes from police department volunteers, most over the age of 65 and all from the city. Their role serves two primary purposes: first to identify and prioritize concerns of the elderly; but more importantly to establish a sense of pride and retain their independence.

Evaluation
In little more than 12 months, the community and the department witnessed a dramatic impact from this project. The success of this new position easily is recognized by the allocation of public and private resources designated to assisting the elderly. New programs range from the creation of the Elder Outreach Program to elder sensitivity training for officers to a Rotary-sponsored emergency assistance fund for seniors.

The National Association of Adult Protective Services Administrators (NAAPSA) 2003 survey report indicated a few major problems facing APS programs across the country. Specifically, NAAPSA identifies problems with law enforcement as a barrier to service delivery for APS clients, manifested in areas such as lack of training for police officers and inadequate criminal investigations. These two issues have been rectified more easily within the department through the Elder Crime Specialist committing time to train officers properly in elder issues, and more proactively assisting detectives by gathering information to expedite criminal investigations and necessary victim contact.

The Elder Crime Specialist created two additional programs to broaden the range of services provided to elderly residents of the city:

• First, an Elder Outreach program has been designed to address some of these problems within the municipality, thus improving the Boca Raton Police Department’s relationship with Adult Protective Services and increasing the efficiency and ability to reach vulnerable adults in need. The volunteer outreach team, by making regular home visits and being visible within the community, are more likely to come in contact with city elders before a crisis-warranting attention arises. Also, the team can bring more attention to the issue of vulnerable adults by interacting with the public in the city. It is anticipated that the first training class for Elder Outreach volunteers will begin this fall.

• Second, the Central Boca Raton Rotary Club will award a grant to the department in the amount of $6,000 in the next few weeks. These funds are for emergency services for vulnerable adults. The Elder Crime Specialist will be able to access these monies to assist these adults. Proposed uses include temporary housing, prescription assistance and helping to fulfill other daily needs often overlooked in times of adversity.

The results have far surpassed the department’s expectations. Prior to the inception of this position, departmental handling of cases involving the elderly was no different than other cases. The fact that this demographic had different needs never was addressed with special training, nor was the procedure of the department adjusted to serve elder victims better. Now, a documented strategy serves as a baseline for effectiveness. The acknowledgement of this shortfall and subsequent formation of the elder crime position was integral in developing a permanent solution focused on improving interaction with elders.

The success of this initiative can be measured by the department’s response to families in distress during or after every police-related incident. Each case that the Elder Crime Specialist investigates also is investigated byy the Department of Children and Families’ Adult Protective Service Team. The Elder Crime Specialist is on call 24 hours a day for families experiencing emergency situations. The Elder Crime Specialist reviews every incident report involving those over 60 years of age, and each victim is personally contacted.

The Elder Crime Specialist, by responding to APSreported cases, can facilitate the judicial process resulting from an abuse, neglect or exploitation case by initiating an incident report and following up with the investigations bureau. Coordinating details such as photographs of a victim’s injuries for both the law enforcement investigator and the APS investigator fosters a positive working relationship. Extending assistance through the police department liaison also is helpful for the victim, as the elderly can be frustrated easily by attempting to navigate a law enforcement agency and the criminal justice system.

Public awareness of elderly abuse, neglect and exploitation has achieved greater community awareness and an increased ability to serve and protect the community’s elderly population.

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