What
is TRIAD? What does TRIAD do?
TRIAD is a volunteer
partnership involving:
- a sheriff
- police chief(s)
in the county
- local AARP or other older/retired leadership
The primary goals
of TRIAD are to:
- reduce the criminal
victimization of older citizens
- enhance the delivery
of law enforcement services to this population
- provide opportunities
for exchange of information between law enforcement and senior citizens
TRIAD is an integral
part of community policing, with a focus on reducing unwarranted fear
of crime and improving the quality of life for seniors.
Older Americans comprise
the most rapidly growing segment of the population. One in every eight
Americans is already age 65 or older, a total of more than 33.6 million.
Increased life expectancy is leading to new problems and issues for the
criminal justice system as communities, including Orange County, experience
a dramatic increase in the number of older persons.
TRIAD activities
in Orange County include:
- providing information
to seniors on:
- how to avoid
criminal victimization
- home security
information & inspections
- current frauds
and scams
- coping with
telephone solicitations and door-to-door salesmen
- elder abuse
prevention, recognition and reporting
- training for deputies
and officers in communicating with and assisting older persons
- telephone reassurance
programs for older citizens
- intergenerational
projects beneficial to seniors and youth
- emergency preparedness
plans by and for seniors
- victim assistance
by and for seniors
- court watch activities
- File
of Life emergency medical information program: A program developed
by TRIAD to quickly and accurately provide important medical facts in
the midst of a life threatening emergency.
- mature volunteers
within law enforcement agencies
- Project
Lifesaver is a rapid response program aiding citizens and families
dealing with Alzheimer's disease, autistism, dementia, and learning
disabilities, as well as deaf toddlers; this program uses state of the
art technology and specially trained officers to locate individuals
who have wandered away and cannot take care of themselves
- the Yellow
Dot™ Program to supplement The File of Life
- veteran services
available for seniors
- the annual Battlefield/Piedmont
Regional TRIAD Conference for Senior Citizens
- provide advice
on home alarm systems and other emergency devices
- provide emergency
devices to financially-challenged seniors
- speakers bureau
available to the community
- A
Child is Missing Alert Program: This non-profit organization uses
a high technology telephone alert system to canvas a neighborhood with
calls describing a missing child or elderly person, asking anyone with
leads to call their local law enforcement. Alert calls are launched
within 15 minutes from request for assistance at a rate of 1,000 calls
per 60 seconds.
- Orange Senior
Coalition
- Orange County
TRIAD is a part of Aging Together of Orange County; our vision is to
enable people to remain independent and in their own homes for as long
as they choose and, if nursing care becomes necessary, we envision a
county that allows people to move smoothly through the continuum of
care in a manner reflective of their individual needs and desires
Calls for service,
crimes, victims—all are changing. TRIAD assesses the needs of each
community. Areas with serious crime problems may focus on crime prevention
and victim assistance. In addition to crime prevention, TRIAD may provide
reassurance programs, training for law enforcement personnel in senior
issues, and involving volunteers within the law enforcement agencies.
Who is TRIAD?
Although TRIAD is
a national movement, each TRIAD is a local organization, tailored to meet
the unique needs of its community. The Orange County Seniors and Law Enforcement
Together (SALT) Council typically includes representatives of the Orange
Town Police Department, the Gordonsville Police Department, the Orange
County Sheriff's Office, Orange County American Association of Retired
Persons (AARP), and
other senior organizations. Also participating are RSVP, service providers,
hospitals, the business community, clergy, and other agencies involved,
or interested in, helping the elderly. The SALT Council, the action and
governing arm of TRIAD, assesses and addresses the needs of the elderly
in the community by determining their needs and concerns, collaborating
to develop ways to meet those needs, and planning activities and programs
to involve and benefit both law enforcement and seniors.
TRIAD volunteers
There are currently
hundreds of TRIAD volunteers across the Commonwealth of Virginia that
assist with TRIAD activities on a regular basis. Some volunteers are local
law enforcement personnel; some are seniors who work after hours and on
their days off to bring programs to the community. Volunteers are recruited
in a variety of different ways. Some are local senior leaders who have
chosen to be a part of crime prevention in their community. Some seniors
read about the programs and call to become a part of TRIAD. Letters are
also sent out to seniors asking for their help in the TRIAD Program.
Local TRIADs train
their seniors to protect themselves, and to always alert authorities if
they see anything suspicious. Seniors may often be the law's best partner
in reducing crime in their communities. Seniors are the eyes and ears
of most communities, and the relationship they have with local law enforcement
can directly assist in preventing and solving crimes.
How did TRIAD come
about?
The American Association
of Retired Persons (AARP), the International Association of Chiefs of
Police, and the National Sheriffs' Associations (NSA) signed a cooperative
agreement in 1988 to work together to reduce both criminal victimization
and unwarranted fear of crime affecting older persons. The three national
organizations agreed that police chiefs, sheriffs, older leaders, and
those who work with seniors, working together, could devise better ways
to reduce crimes against the elderly and enhance law enforcement services
to older citizens. This, they believe, is true community policing, providing
better service to a population that appreciates, respects, and supports
law enforcement.
TRIADS in areas with
serious crime problems may focus on crime prevention and victim assistance.
Where older persons are not often targets of crime, the SALT Council,
the engine that drives a local TRIAD, may decide to concentrate on reassurance
programs, training for law enforcement, and involving volunteers within
the law enforcement agencies.
TRIAD in Virginia...
Virginia's TRIAD
program began when former Governor Jim Gilmore was Attorney General traveled
to Texas in 1995 to a conference where he first learned of TRIAD. He was
so interested in the program that, when he returned from his trip, he
decided to initiate the program in Virginia. It began with a signing of
an agreement of many crime prevention leaders throughout Virginia. Former
Attorney General Mark L. Earley re-signed this agreement in 2000, when
Virginia was honored as the host state for the National TRIAD Conference.
TRIAD was recognized in 2005 by Commonwealth of Virginia House Joint Resolution
#731 in honor of its 10th anniversary!
...and
Orange County
The cooperative agreement
with the Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General, under whose auspices
Virginia TRIADs operate, was first signed on 28 August 2002, and it was
re-signed 26 August 2005. The Battlefield/Piedmont
Regional TRIAD was formed 1 May 2003, and the cooperative agreement
was re-signed 26 August 2005. Orange County's was the first TRIAD to become
a SeniorNavigator.org center.
Contact Elaine Anderson, TRIAD Coordinator in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff's
Office:
Useful links for
Seniors:
- http://SeniorNavigator.org This is a free, statewide public-service, non-profit whose mission is
to provide comprehensive health and aging information to seniors and
their caregivers, supporting independence, confidentiality, dignity
and quality of life. It combines the best practices of community building
and information technology, providing information about over 18,500
public and private local programs and services.
- http://www.aarp.org
- http://www.vaag.com
- http://www.elderwisdomcircle.org Elder Wisdom Circle is a coalition of seniors who read emails sent them
seeking advice on issues as diverse as making pies to abusive relationships,
replying with safe, funny, and often poignant wisdom gleaned from their
many years of living.
- http://www.snopes.com
- seniors@oag.state.va.us If you would like to add your address to the TRIAD mailing list sent
out by Jennifer Hasty-Auhgur, Director of Triad and Citizen Outreach
in the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
send your request to this address.
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