Program Designed to Coordinate, Enhance Safety Efforts

Senior safety initiatives may conjure up images of purse snatching and violent incidents but many criminals target the elderly with more silent dangers such as door-to-door or internet scams.

In Canton, many programs exist to assist seniors but a relatively new effort is designed to coordinate and enhance those efforts. It dubbed TRIAD, a national program that partners police, social services and community groups.

“TRIAD seeks to coordinate the separate service providers and maximize their effectiveness for the senior citizen,” said Senior and Social Services intern Ashley Criniti, who is coordinating the effort. 

In Canton the program will build on programs and services from several organizations, particularly the Senior and Social Services Department, Police Department and Commission on Aging.

There are many pitfalls seniors can fall into, some of which target all age groups. With computers, for example, many don’t realize that clicking on popups can generate spam or sometimes “Phishing” programs used to steal personal and financial information. There are many e-mail generated viruses and scams as well.

 “You don’t realize what a simple click can do,” Criniti said.

And whether it's computer education or any other effort, as part of TRIAD the departments put together an 11-person SALT (Seniors And Law Enforcement Together) Committee to coordinate existing efforts, discuss new ideas and implement them. They could include informational events, classes or helpful pamphlets. Recently the committee sponsored a Lunch with the Cops to better familiarize seniors with local police officers.

In addition to known issues the committee is also getting feedback from seniors through a survey.

“The surveys about getting the stakeholders together and seeing what our seniors want to see,” Criniti said.

The surveys are due Jan. 1 and seniors who didn’t get one can drop by or call the Senior/Social Services office at 860-693-5811 or the Canton Police Department at 860-693-0221.  

Criniti has already started evaluating the information and the committee will likely come up with some new ideas but police chief Christopher Arciero said the effort is off to a great start.

“It gets the P.D. more formally involved.” Arciero said. “It’s worked out pretty well.”