NCJ Number
89783
Date Published
1982
Length
61 pages
Annotation
Representatives from Nevada's victim services and aging agencies described the vulnerability of elderly citizens to crime, while other witnesses discussed mail fraud schemes and provided additional statistics on elderly victimization.
Abstract
The director of the Senior Citizens Law Project in Las Vegas reviewed the State's efforts to help victims and proposed mandatory, harsh sentences to prevent crime. He also described how the elderly are abused by their families and friends through powers of attorney, use of gifts of joint tenancy, and promissory estoppel. The director of the Nevada Division of Aging Services discussed the lack of understanding between local law enforcement authorities and senior citizens as well as elderly abuse. A local senior citizen coordinator suggested several solutions to the crime problem, including increased prison construction, stricter parole laws, effective victim assistance, increased victim compensation awards, and more secure housing for the elderly. The fear of crime and the effects of a criminal attack on an elderly victim were explored by a representative from the district attorney's victim-witness assistance program. A postal inspector highlighted typical mail fraud schemes that the elderly might encounter. Crime statistics on the elderly for Clark County were presented by another witness who also detailed the State's efforts to educate the elderly about crime prevention. She noted that 140 to 150 elderly were victimized per month, that male victims outnumbered female victims, and that the time of day had no relation to crime patterns. Several elderly victims of crime described their experiences. Tables and committee correspondence are included.