Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury Electronic Transmission via Email to: [email protected]

Reporting elder abuse is needlessly difficult, which results in its underreporting. (R1, R2) Police Chief Response: The respondent disagrees partially with the finding. Crime in general is underreported. Regarding elder abuse, the Arcata Police Department adheres strictly to state law and Department policy that mandate reporting and investigating elder abuse crime. California Welfare and Institutions Code section 15630 identifies local law enforcement agencies as mandated reporters of Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse. APD policy 326 states, in part, “The Arcata Police Department will investigate all reported incidents of alleged adult abuse and ensure proper reporting and notification as required by law.” Reporting elder abuse crime is similar to reporting any other crime type. The process itself is not difficult. The challenge perhaps is in recognizing when elder abuse occurs. This requires knowing what the elements are of each type of elder abuse crime.

We can better protect seniors by making it as easy as possible for the public at large, and seniors specifically, to understand what elder abuse is and how to report it. (R1, R2) Police Chief Response: The respondent agrees with the finding.