Washington Post reports Montgomery County is establishing a Special Unit in the DA's Office to Prosecute Elder Abuse.

FYI Washington Post reports Montgomery County is establishing a Special Unit in the DA's Office to Prosecute Elder Abuse.    See Washington Post article below.   Elder financial exploitation is a crime in Montgomery County.

 

 

Crime

Montgomery County, Md., launching special unit to fight abuse of the elderly

By Dan Morse October 15 at 11:00 PM  

Facing a rapid increase in the number of older residents — and more criminals targeting them — the Montgomery County state’s attorney and other county officials are scheduled to announce Thursday the formation of a special prosecution unit to combatelder abuse.

“Crime is dropping in Montgomery County, but the character of crime is changing,” State’s Attorney John McCarthy said.

One key way it’s changing: There is more crime against seniors simply because there are more seniors.

In 2010, there were an estimated 183,429 people in Montgomery County 60 and older, according to the Maryland Department of Aging. The number is expected to jump to 258,367 in 2020 and 315,888 in 2030, according to state statistics.

“The explosion in the senior population — if you don’t do strategic planning for it, you’re going to get buried,” McCarthy said.

Montgomery’s population is following national trends.

By 2050, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), people 65 and older are expected to make up one-fifth of the U.S. population. And the fastest-growing segment are the most vulnerable — those 85 and older. In 2010, there were 5.8 million people age 85 or older. By 2050, the number is projected to be 19 million, according to the NCEA.

McCarthy has assigned two experienced felony prosecutors — Jessica Hall and Hannah Gleason — to focus on cases of neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse of older victims, McCarthy said. They will work at an office with Montgomery County police detectives investigating the same kinds of cases