June 15, 2022
Carson
City, NV — Today,
in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Attorney General Aaron D.
Ford announced his office has received a $279,250 grant from the Department of
Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to facilitate training and
services related to stopping elder abuse.
“Elder
abuse is an underreported, but sadly common occurrence in American
communities,” said AG Ford. “One in 10 Americans aged 60 and over have
experienced elder abuse of some kind. This grant will help my office help those
who have found themselves to be victims of this abuse. If anyone is aware of a
situation involving elder abuse, please contact law enforcement.”
The grant, part of the OVW’s Enhanced Training and Services
to End Abuse in Later Life Program, will go toward training law enforcement,
prosecutors, judges and victim advocates on recognizing and reporting elder
abuse.
Jurisdictions and organizations around Nevada who have
pledged their commitment in this endeavor include the Nevada Division of Aging
& Disability Services, Advocates to End Domestic Violence, Bamboo Bridges,
Consolidated Agencies of Human Services, Community Chest, Inc. Crisis Support Services
of Nevada, Domestic Violence Resource Center, Family Support Council of Douglas
County, The Rape Crisis Center, SAFE House, Safe Nest, Washoe County Human
Services Agency and Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services.
In addition, law enforcement agencies including the Carson
City Sheriff’s Office, the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas
County Sheriff’s Office, the Elko County Police Department, the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Reno
Police Department, the Storey County Police Department and the White Pine
County Sheriff’s Office have pledged their commitment.
A previous grant from the same program helped the Office of
the Attorney General build multiple Coordinated Community Response Teams (CCRs)
in collaboration with the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division. These
CCRs —
one focused on Northern and Rural Nevada, one focused on Southern Nevada and
one focused statewide — brought together a diverse collection of community
stakeholders to focus on protecting seniors against multiple types of
victimization.
The CCRs provide a multidisciplinary response to include
victim services, healthcare professionals, prosecutors, law enforcement, the
judiciary and other members of each community to improve outcomes for victims
of intimate partner and sexual violence.
These teams also serve as an information sharing hub for
continuing education and training for law enforcement and other; enhancing
services provided by victim advocates; developing new tools for prosecutors;
and educating communities how to identify the signs of elder abuse, how to
report crimes and how to be supportive of targeted victims.
###