New Recommendations to Combat Alarming Rise of Elder Abuse in Georgia
Elder abuse has risen dramatically in Georgia in the last few years. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police formed an ad hoc committee last year to study the problem and has now released its recommendations.
LaGrange Police Chief Lou Dekmar heads the committee and says, between 2008 and 2012, abuse of the elderly and other at-risk adults in Georgia increased 65%. With the population aging, he says that number is likely to continue to rise.
“Frequently these folks that are victimized physically have nowhere to turn. And that caregiver who is also the abuser is the only option they have,” says Dekmar. “And so, as a result you don’t get the kind of information and cooperation in these cases that make it easily identifiable as a criminal case.” An audio version of this story
To help identify the cases, he committee is recommending special training for first responders, investigators, and even 911 dispatchers. Dekmar is confident police departments around the state will embrace the training; its first stages are planned for this summer at a gathering of Georgia police chiefs.
The committee also recommends a more aggressive and organized approach to investigating cases. And it plans to ask state lawmakers to increase penalties for anyone who tries to interfere with an investigation into alleged abuse of any at-risk adult.
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