Senior Services Investigator

In late October 1998, the Cattaraugus County Legislature recognized a unique opportunity to improve services to senior citizens and permitted the implementation of an innovative partnership between the Cattaraugus County Department of Aging and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office with the appointment of a Senior Services Investigator.

This position has been necessitated by the growing realization that senior citizens have been under-served. From physical, emotional or sexual abuse to financial exploitation, approximately 818,000 elderly individuals nationwide are victimized annually. Furthermore, experts estimate that those numbers represent only ten percent, with the rest going unreported.

The Sheriff’s Office has assigned an investigator to the staff at the Department of Aging. The investigator's primary duties include investigating crimes against the elderly, providing public education, and advocating for senior victims in the criminal justice system.

The establishment of a Senior Services Investigator allows the Sheriff’s Office to continue to provide progressive and innovating policing to senior citizens by addressing the following issues:

• Senior citizens comprise the fastest growing segment of our population, but are difficult to serve adequately with conventional resources.
• Seniors have a natural tendency to avoid "getting involved" or speaking out, even after being victimized.
• Senior victims have a tangible fear of reprisal and the loss of dignity that comes from appearing foolish.
• Family members or someone else they trust may have victimized seniors, adding mixed emotions of loyalty and embarrassment to their problem.
• Mental acuity may become an issue in much senior victimization, requiring an investigator to make the distinction between the senior’s perception and reality.
• Being a senior victim raises the specter of that person losing their independence.

The Senior Services Investigator will develop specialized protocols for dealing with the specialized concerns of seniors and help to overcome communication obstacles that sometimes exist. The investigator will also have the use of other resources such as Department of Aging, Health Department and Social Services caseworkers, and be able to provide his specialized training and experience to those agencies for the benefit of senior citizens.

For more information about the Senior Services Investigator, you can e-mail Sheriff Dennis John.