May 9, 2002

Contact: Lynn Kimbrough, 720-913-9025

DENVER DA’S OFFICE AWARDED

$200,000 GRANT TO FIGHT ELDER FRAUD

Faith-based groups invited to join effort

Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, Jr. – in an effort to find better ways to protect the elderly from crime – is launching a new attack on fraud against the elderly with help from a $200,000 federal grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice.   

The Senior Care program will significantly expand the existing crime prevention activities already underway at the DA’s Office by linking anti-fraud efforts to thousands of seniors directly through their faith communities.  The Denver District Attorney’s Office will partner with faith-based organizations to serve 40,000 elderly in the Denver area through efforts such as sending weekly financial crime prevention messages, urgent crime alerts, training volunteers to work with victims and improving financial crime reporting.  A Community Advocate will also be hired to work with the faith-based organizations to encourage the detection and reporting of elder fraud cases. 

A high percentage of seniors are part of a faith community in which they get support and information.  Ritter is establishing the Senior Care program as an additional tool in the fight against elder fraud to take advantage of the connections and support systems already in place.  The efforts are expected to eventually  reach nearly half the senior population in Denver.

The Denver DA’s Office is the only prosecution office to receive this grant; the  two other grant recipients were Legal Services of Eastern Michigan and Sam Houston State University in Texas.

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