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December 2019 Featured Resources

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

In his proclamation for National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, President Trump states that during this month, we "remember the victims of impaired driving, pray for the grieving families of those whose lives have been taken, and honor the law enforcement professionals who work to keep our roads safe."

To help raise awareness, we highlight the National Sheriffs' Association video, DUI Crashes: Real Crimes, Real Victims. Created with funding support from OVC, this video urges law enforcement to respond to and interact with DUI crash victims in a victim-centered way, with all the referrals, support, and resources due to victims of a violent crime.

The video describes the importance of clearly communicating services that are available to victims of crime. This includes victim compensation available in every state through the Crime Victims Fund.

Additional Information and prevention resources are available:

Supporting Older Adults Victimized by Financial Crime

The holiday season is a time of celebration. However, during this time of the year, scams targeting older adults may be more prevalent. OVC features the following resources to help support older adults who are victims of financial exploitation—

Developing an Elder Abuse Case Review Multidisciplinary Team in Your Community
The U.S. Department of Justice, with OVC support, created this toolkit which is designed to facilitate the development and growth of multidisciplinary teams to address elder abuse cases, including financial abuse. It also provides information about team structures and functions, along with common issues that arise with developing a case review team.

U.S. Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative
The Elder Justice Initiative offers resources to help victims of crime and the service provides who assist them. Additionally, the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center offers an Elder Justice Initiative Webinar Series which provides critical information for prosecutors, victim specialists, law enforcement, and others working on elder abuse cases.

Elder Abuse Resource Roadmap
Financial exploitation comes in many forms and it may be difficult to identify the correct agency to report this type of abuse. This roadmap is a user-friendly tool that will help guide you to the right agency.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Scammers demand gift cards
Did you know that many scammer's steal money by impersonating government officials or debt collectors and demand payment through gift cards? In this FTC blog, learn about this scam and how to educate the public on spotting and reporting this type of fraud. Sign up for FTC email updates to learn about news about other scams and how to help seniors and other consumers identify and prevent fraud.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Access CFPB resources on protecting older adults from fraud and financial exploitation. CFPB resources include, "Money Smart for Older Adults", which is designed to help older adults, family caregivers, and others prevent, recognize, and report financial exploitation. "Money Smart for Older Adults" is available in both English and Spanish.

Visit the Elder Abuse Special Feature section of the Office of Justice Programs site for more information and resources.

Date Published: December 1, 2019