Since taking office, I have made serious efforts to identify under served areas in our state and the individuals or groups who need additional assistance or protection. I have focused on Internet crime and consumer protection because there was a lack of resources and focus being directed to those areas.
Working with the Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Unit in my office, I have identified another group of Kansans who are many times under served: Kansas seniors. Seniors often become the victims of scams or other abuse.
During the ANE Unit’s first year, we made a disturbing discovery. Financial exploitation or fiduciary abuse of the elderly is not always viewed as a crime. In fact, many people do not realize it is against the law.
My office is working on several fronts to make sure our loved ones are protected and to guarantee these crimes are taken seriously.
Of the 1,785 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation received by our unit last year, 80 percent report child abuse and 20 percent report adult abuse. Surprisingly, almost half of all reported adult abuse involved financial exploitation.
Sadly, less than 8 percent of the financial cases reported to our unit resulted in criminal charges and prosecution by county and district attorneys.
We must do all we can to protect our most vulnerable citizens from financial abuse and exploitation. And we must attack this problem on many fronts.
My office partnered with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and the Kansas Bankers Association to develop guidelines for identifying financial abuse.
The guidelines will help bank staff and those working with seniors and their finances determine if they are being exploited. The new guidelines will be available soon and will help banks make the proper reports to law enforcement in a timely fashion.
We are also working with SRS and the Kansas Bankers Association to produce small informational displays that will be placed in bank teller’s windows across our state. The displays will provide information for bank employees about the signs and indicators of financial abuse, as well as information for seniors about how to protect themselves.
Our education and prevention efforts will reduce the amount of elder abuse and financial abuse that occurs in Kansas. But even with significant prevention efforts, these crimes will still occur. When they do, law enforcement must be ready to hold the perpetrators accountable.
This is just the beginning of my efforts to improve protections for Kansas seniors. Working together, we can prevent the abuse and exploitation of?the elderly and make our state a better place to live, work, and retire.
