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May 1990
POLICE PRACTICES 1
ELDERWATCH
In the summer of 1986, because of a substantial increase in
the number of crimes directed against the elderly, officers of
the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Department met with various citizens
groups to discuss possible solutions to this problem. Another
area of concern expressed at these meetings was the fact that
many elderly citizens were not receiving the help they needed
because they lacked the information and resources to assist
themselves. As a result, the Tulsa Police Department, in
conjunction with several community service agencies, initiated
Elderwatch, a program designed specifically for Tulsa's elderly
citizens.
The goal of Elderwatch is to reduce crimes committed against
the elderly and provide community services to improve their
quality of life and to reduce their fear of crime. In order to
reach the senior population, police officers and community
service representatives visit the elderly in their homes,
informing them of the program and what services are available to
them.
ORIENTATION
Prior to initiating the program, the Tulsa Senior Services
Outreach Agency, one of the community services group active in
Elderwatch, sponsored a 2-day seminar for police officers to
inform them of the available services and how to contact these
services. The officers were also advised of the emotional and
psychological aspects of aging that may affect the ways in which
the elderly interact with others.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Once the orientation was completed, the police department
issued a press release to notify the public of the program's
existence. The press release was also a means to advise senior
citizens of the program's purpose and to inform them of the
upcoming visits by police officers and community service
representatives.
Then, police officers and volunteers set out on a
door-to-door canvass of neighborhoods and apartment complexes
having a high concentration of senior citizens. By going door to
door, they were able to assess the living conditions of the
elderly to determine if they were being neglected, exploited, or
abused. They were also able to determine if an elderly citizen
was in need of a particular service that was readily available
through one of the various citizens groups.
In addition, the canvassers voluntarily offered to check the
security of each residence, as well as to provide crime
prevention tips. Through donated funds, they were able to see to
it that deadbolt locks and other security devices were installed
in those residences lacking the necessary security measures, if
the senior citizen so desired.
Officers conduct the canvass in uniform, driving marked
patrol units. Also, they are the ones who initiate conversations
with the elderly; volunteers accompany the officers to help them
answer questions and fill out forms. If an elderly person is
found to have a specific problem, the officer or volunteer makes
a notation on a preprinted checklist and then turns this form
into the Elderwatch coordinator at the conclusion of the canvass.
It is the coordinator's responsibility to contact the
appropriate agency and also to check back with the individual at
a later date to ensure that any problem encountered has been
resolved. The coordinator also forwards all Elderwatch reports
to the police communications center and records the number of
persons contacted and the number of referrals made.
ELDERWATCH FORMS
To complement the Elderwatch Program, the Tulsa Police
Department developed a database to record information submitted
voluntarily by senior citizens. Along with basic personal
information (name, address, telephone number), the forms record
the names of the individual's doctors and the hospitals with
which they are associated; any chronic illnesses; and the names,
addresses, and telephone numbers of nearest relatives or
neighbors and whether they have a key to the residence. The
individual is also asked to note any assistance received from a
social service agency.
These Elderwatch forms are either filled out by the police
officer or volunteer during the door-to-door canvass or left with
the individual to be mailed later to the police department. The
completed forms are sent to the police department's
Communications Division so that the information can be entered
into the Computer Aided Dispatching System. Once entered into
the database, this information can be retrieved and then provided
to emergency service personnel if they are called to the
residence to render assistance.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Recognizing it is impossible to reach everyone who needs
assistance through a neighborhood canvass, a utility company
offered to distribute over 4,000 ElderWatch forms with payment
notices. Also, the forms, accompanied with a pamphlet
explaining the program, were left at locations where the elderly
frequent, such as churches, community centers, and nutrition
sites.
Use of the media can keep the entire community informed of
the program and gain support for it. Media coverage can generate
an interest that would be difficult to achieve by any other
means.
It is also important for the police department to develop a
good working relationship with those agencies providing services
to the elderly. Not only do they provide the materials for the
information packages distributed to the elderly, but they offer
invaluable assistance to officers when dealing with a specific
problem that affects the elderly.
CONCLUSION
In every American city, no matter what the size, there is a
segment of the elderly community that is in need of assistance.
The Elderwatch Program, with its neighborhood canvasses,
community involvement, and media coverage, helps the police
department address the daily needs of many of Tulsa's elderly.
The program has been able to give them a better quality of life
by reducing crime and making them more secure in their homes and
their neighborhoods.
____________
Information on the Elderwatch Program was provided by Lt.
Bob Chance of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Department.