FCSO, AARP team up to fight crime against senior citizens

CUMMING - The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and the Forsyth chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons have teamed up to form a special group dedicated to protecting seniors.

At its organizational meeting recently, 15 charter members of the group, which will be called SALT, for "Seniors And Lawmen Together", elected officers and formed committees to help develop the organization's mission and obtain tax-exempt status.

The SALT Team will operate in cooperation with the Forsyth County Senior Center and the Special Victims Unit of the Sheriff's Office.

"This is a home run for our senior citizens," Sheriff Paxton said. "Older Americans are the fastest growing segment of our population and are often the most vulnerable when it comes to financial fraud, home repair scams and even elder abuse."

"Our objective is to make sure that our senior citizens are protected in every possible way," Sheriff Paxton SALT has two primary goals, crime prevention and education for senior citizens.

The SALT Team council will plan activities and programs that will involve and benefit both law enforcement and seniors. Among the activities and programs are:

* Crime prevention programs for older persons
* Information on how to avoid criminal victimization
* Expanded involvement in the Neighborhood Watch program
* Home security information and inspections
* Personal safety tips
* Training on how to deal with door-to-door salesmen
* Training on how to deal with telemarketers and other high pressure salespersons
* Elder abuse prevention, recognition and reporting procedures
* Training for deputies and staff on how to communicate effectively and assist older persons
* Reassurance programs for older citizens
*Adopt-A-Senior visits and a Buddy System for shut-ins
*Emergency preparedness plans for and by seniors
*Training on how to shop safely and effectively
*Victim assistance for seniors
*Refrigerator cards with emergency medical information
*Volunteer programs for persons who want to work with seniors

"The Reverse 911 system we recently announced will allow us to call our senior citizens who are shut-ins on a daily (or more often) basis so that we can check on their welfare as often as needed," Sheriff Paxton said. "That system should be operational (within a few weeks).

"In addition, we also plan to have a special link on our Sheriff's Office web site dedicated to SALT This special section will allow anyone who is interested in SALT to check in and find out about meetings and activities," Paxton added.

Anyone interested in participating in SALT should contact Shelley Johnson, Director of the Forsyth County Senior Center at (770) 781-2178 or Deputy Woody Woodward at the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, (770) 205-4547.

The next SALT Team meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14 at the Forsyth County Senior Center. The meeting starts at 10 a.m.