What Works

Florida’s Senior Sleuths Program Acts as Model
Brandon Bryn, Web Writer

In 1989, the Attorney General of Florida established the Seniors vs. Crime Project to educate and communicate with the state’s large population of senior citizens.  It began as a relatively small project in just five counties, and trained approximately 300 senior citizen volunteers with crime prevention skills.  But the effectiveness of the program was immediately apparent, and it quickly spread statewide.  The senior citizen volunteers, now known as Senior Sleuths, surprised both government and law enforcement officials with their willingness to help, and their eagerness to prevent crimes committed against other senior citizens.  The Seniors vs. Crime Project in Florida currently has over 2,000 Senior Sleuth volunteers, and has become a model for other states such as Illinois and Iowa, who have implemented similar projects. 

The Senior Sleuths deal primarily with financial crimes such as fraud and identity theft, and have helped the state recover nearly $5 million for senior citizens who were the victims of con artists.  After receiving training, they teach others how to file consumer complaints with the Consumer Fraud Bureau and monitor telemarketing calls, junk mail, and door-to-door solicitations.

Operating out of “Storefronts” across Florida, the Senior Sleuths are available to the public, and can act as mediators between citizens who feel they have been victimized and the third parties suspected of ripping them off.  Most of the time, the issue is resolved with this mediation and the money is returned to the victim.  But occasionally, the Senior Sleuths find it necessary to involve the authorities as well.  Utilizing these techniques, the Senior Sleuths act as the Attorney General’s eyes and ears and inform him about consumer fraud issues.  Working together, the Seniors vs. Crime Project has shut down many fraudulent operations across the state, and saved many other senior citizens time, money, and stress.

In general, senior citizens do not volunteer as much as other age groups.  However, the fact that when they do volunteer time, they tend to donate a lot of time and become very involved has been publicized in the news recently.  Now more than ever, senior citizens across the country are beginning to get involved with service projects they believe in, and volunteering their free time and expertise to help others.  The growing population of senior citizens in the U.S. will presumably give rise to more participation by these older Americans in volunteer activities, and hopefully more states will begin to implement their own Senior Sleuth programs.

For more information, visit www.seniorsvscrime.com.