One of the factors that makes preventing crimes against senior citizens so difficult is the failure to know when they are occurring. Unlike other segments of the public such younger adults who are likely tell the authorities themselves when they have been a victim of a crime, oftentimes senior citizens are either unable or unwilling to tell the authorities when they are a victim of a crime (NCPC, 2016). Moreover, unlike as children who have parents, teachers and children organizations to inform the authorities; seniors rarely have guardians looking after their safety.
Accordingly, one of the fundamental elements of any program focused on decreasing crimes against seniors is to get the word out to seniors that help is available if they need it. This can be accomplished through the publication of police information prominently on television or through the news media, as well as working with technology and social media companies. The goal is not only to inform seniors directly but also to inform their children or grandchildren in the hope that they will pass on that information to their parents or grandparents.
Moreover, not only must seniors be informed of available services, the services must be provided in a way that seniors can access it easily or report to the authorities. As the world is increasingly going online, including seniors, one way to accomplish this would be to work with technology companies to create emergency response apps that can be accessed from a smartphone, computer, smart television or other Internet connected home devices.
Perhaps, the most effective way of combating crimes against seniors is to stop them from happening at all. One way that this can be accomplished is to work with local, state, and federal legislatures to toughen the punishments for crimes committed against seniors. The hope with this would be that potential criminals would be deterred from committing crimes against seniors if he possible punishment for the crime is to great if they are caught.
In conclusion, as with most criminal activity, oftentimes the best way of fighting it relies on the actions of the community in reporting it. Accordingly, with crimes against seniors, they must take an active role in helping police to help them. Absent that assistance, police can only increase their surveillance and monitoring or activity in hopes of catching someone before the act.
References
National Crime Prevention Council (NCRC). (2016). Strategy: Crime prevention services for the elderly. Retrieved from http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety/strategies/strategy-crime-prevention-services-for-the-elderly
