Police Beat: Capt. Patricia Jackson

You can be our eyes and ears! Please call 553-0123 or the Richmond Station's Anonymous Hot Tip Line at 666-8090 if you see any suspicious activity.

Elder Neglect

Our officers were called to a motel on Geary Boulevard to check on the well-being of an elderly male. The manager of the motel (who called us) identified the room number and name of the elderly male and said the man would not leave the bathroom.

The manager opened the room and we saw an elderly male sitting naked on the bathroom floor. We asked him if he was OK and he said, through broken English and Chinese, that he was going to take a shower but he was not able to stand up by himself. He was conscious and breathing but appeared very weak and frail, so officers at the scene assisted the elderly gentleman to his bed and called for medical assistance.

The medics recognized the gentleman from a previous call for service a few days earlier when he was wandering the street not knowing where he was.

The medics took him to St. Mary's Hospital on both occasions.

The manager of the motel said the man's son filled out the registration card for his father. Since the son was not at the address listed ­ he had moved in July ­ and the given phone numbers were inaccurate, the case was forwarded to Adult Protective Services.

Elder Financial Abuse

San Francisco police inspectors Tom Feledy and Bob Velarde (Fraud) investigate Elder Financial Abuse.

With family members, the profile is that of a middle-aged offspring, usually male, with a poor employment history and a spotty education. The scenario runs something like this: a son/daughter moves in with a parent and begins to manage their life with the goal of getting the elderly person's money.

The first step toward that goal is when the parent lets the son or daughter start paying the bills, eventually getting their name on the bank account. Soon, the son or daughter is writing checks for cash. Initially, the son or daughter is useful ­ doing chores and handyman sort of things to intentionally foster a dependence on the offspring.

Dependency is one of the four elements that characterize the victim in cases of elder abuse where the victim knows the suspect. When combined with the other elements ­ isolation, emotional manipulation and emotional abuse, the scene is set for elder abuse.

In many cases, victims of financial abuse perpetrated by relatives or professionals don't know what's happening to them. (Example: Phone calls from other family members and friends are intercepted and the elder is told it was a wrong number.)

Suspects known to the victim may be professionals, such as accountants, attorneys, real estate lenders ­ or they can be family members.

We need the community involved. There are problems enough in growing older and the last thing seniors need is having their finances taken from them and their well-being destroyed.

The following is a sample of crimes committed by people who are strangers to the victim.

Pigeon Drop: the suspect-actor claims that he's found a lot of money, often $5,000 to $10,000, in an envelope or bag on the street. The suspect says he will make an attempt to find the rightful owner, but if the owner isn't located, he'll split the money with the victim if the victim supplies "good faith" money amounting to half of what is purported to have been found.

The victim withdraws the money, gives it to the suspect, and discovers that his or her portion has been "switched" to shredded paper.

Jamaican Money Switch: has a charity ruse at its base and also involves "good faith" money. The victim withdraws the necessary amount from a bank, hands it over and discovers after the suspects leave that he or she has been given shredded paper.

Remember, the next community meeting will be Oct. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Community Room at the Richmond District Police Station, 461 Sixth Ave.

Capt. Patricia Jackson is the commanding officer at the Richmond Police Station.

 

 

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