In January of this year, we highlighted the work of two of our Personal Advocate volunteers, Dolores Hubert and Darlene Eckert, who were about to begin work at the Portland Police Bureau’s Vulnerable Adult and Elder Crimes Unit. Since then, their job has been to initiate direct contact with older adults in our community who have experienced identity theft, fraud or theft of personal property but whose cases don’t rise to the level of a full police investigation.
These contacts are an entry point for Elders in Action to provide additional services, resource information and provide support to older adults in our community. As we know, America’s older adults are the fastest growing segment of our society. We are living longer and our aging population is increasingly vulnerable to a broad range of exploitation and abuse.
Sgt. Tim Musgrave
To address this concern, Elders in Action is now a member of a multi-pronged response team for older adult victims of crime consisting of law-enforcement, human services (Adult Protective Services) and a community advocacy group -us! This vision of Sgt. Tim Musgrave, in charge of the Elder Crime & Vulnerable Adult Unit, has enabled us to serve 204 older adults victims of crime since January. Thank you Sgt. Musgrave, for this wonderful opportunity to be of service!
