NCJ Number
190280
Date Published
2001
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Intended for the senior citizens of Ventura County (California), this handbook is designed to help senior citizens identify, prevent, and report crimes committed against them, with attention to specific types of crimes that commonly target the elderly.
Abstract
The first chapter describes fraudulent schemes against the elderly and suggests prevention tips to counter them. These schemes include door-to-door sales, free prize offers, foreclosure frauds, phony mortgage bills, fake delivery schemes, home repair scams, and advance-fee schemes. The second chapter addresses violent crimes against the elderly, namely, robbery, purse-snatching, and carjacking; and the third chapter considers household crimes against the elderly, notably burglary. Another chapter discusses the following types of elder abuse: physical abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and financial abuse. This is followed by a chapter that suggests ways to prevent and report elder abuse. A chapter on the criminal justice system encompasses filing criminal charges, charging the defendant, the arraignment in municipal court, the preliminary hearing, trials, judgment and sentencing, and testifying as a victim/witness. The concluding chapter describes the county District Attorney's Office's services to victims; services are profiled for the following divisions: Victim Services, Consumer Protection, Temporary Restraining Orders, and Victim Compensation. A listing of 22 community resources in Ventura County is provided.