The caring arm of the law

With a growing population of elderly residents, Largo appoints an officer to deal solely with the welfare of seniors.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 9, 2002

LARGO -- Officer Rayshall Poinsette has an assignment unlike anyone else's in the Largo Police Department.

Her job is to identify and address the needs of the growing senior population. Her weapon: a recipe box full of names and phone numbers of seniors who need a little help.

"Being that we've got this huge population of seniors, we need to educate them about scams and all of that kind of thing," Poinsette said. "We're trying to educate neighbors to look out for each other."

Jolly and full of anecdotes about her experiences with seniors, Poinsette said she was thrilled when the Community Services Division of the Police Department tapped her for the job as Largo's first senior services liaison officer.

The new post, which went into effect Sept. 30, was designed to help the department get a pulse on the city's growing senior population.

Poinsette will focus on problems specific to seniors, including bank scams, aggressive solicitors, isolation, declining living conditions, abandonment and a loss of dignity as seniors lose some of their independence, said department spokesman Brandon Graham.

The idea is modeled after a program in Brevard County called TRIAD. A joint effort of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, the State Attorney's Office, the local police and leaders from the retired community, the program focuses on exchanging information between law enforcement agencies and senior citizens, said Brevard County director of Crime Prevention Tony Vitek.

"I think (TRIAD) makes the citizens at ease," he said.

Poinsette said law enforcement programs that target seniors are increasingly important in Florida.

"One of the biggest problems is seniors get lonely," Poinsette said. "They can't drive anymore and relatives get power of attorney. People start taking away their independence."

This loss of self-dignity and feeling of isolation leave many seniors susceptible to criminals, she said. Scammers invite themselves into seniors' homes or call them on the phone and many seniors fall prey because they just want someone to talk with, she said.

Although she has not yet moved into her office, Poinsette has big plans for her post. She plans to hold neighborhood meetings and post fliers around the city to let seniors know who to contact in an emergency and how to find basic service providers for health care.

She said part of her role is to encourage young people to work with seniors.

"Seniors have a wealth of information," she said. "They just amaze me. I think that we as younger people can learn so much from them."

-- Abbie VanSickle can be reached at (727) 445-4224 or at vansickle@sptimes.com.

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