Citrusheights*

The Grand Jury finds some local law enforcement agencies do not consistently collect data to track elder financial abuse cases received from APS, making it impossible to determine if these cases are fully investigated or referred to the DA for prosecution. Response to F3. Disagree: The Citrus Heights Police Department maintains a comprehensive report management system and a case management system to track all submitted reports and the status of cases referred for investigation. This system was utilized to gather all the data requested by the Grand Jury.

The Grand Jury finds law enforcement agencies in Sacramento County are not placing as much priority on elder financial abuse as other types of elder abuse, allowing abusers to avoid consequences. DR. JAYNA KARPINSKI-COSTA, Mayor . MARIJANE LOPEZ-TAFF, Vice Mayor PORSCHE MIDDLETON, Council Member • KELSEY NELSON, Council Member • TIM SCHAEFER, Council Member ASHLEY J. FEENEY, City Manager . RYAN R. JONES, City Attorney July 9, 2025 Response to F6. Somewhat Agree: Due to finite resources, the Citrus Heights Police Department has prioritized elder violent crimes over the investigation of elder financial abuse cases. While a higher priority is placed on crimes of violence, our detectives investigate any elder abuse case with significant solvability factors. In 2024, the Citrus Heights Police Department investigated 73 financial elder abuse cases, including 11 cross reports from Adult Protective services, 17 of those cases were referred to the District Attorney for prosecution.

The Grand Jury finds several of the law enforcement agencies in Sacramento County lack dedicated detectives with specialized training in the investigation of elder financial abuse and as a result many abusers are not being held accountable. Response to F8. Partially Agree: The Citrus Heights Police Department does not currently have a detective exclusively dedicated to elder financial abuse cases. We utilize a general detective model where our detectives are able to handle a myriad of investigations. They do receive specialized training on a variety of topics, including elder financial abuse, but none of our detectives are solely focused on elder financial abuse. As a medium size agency, our personnel must be agile and respond to priority investigations across all disciplines. Dedicating a detective to only one crime category would not be an efficient use of a full-time position.

The Grand Jury finds local uniformed law enforcement officers do not receive continuing education and training in how to recognize the signs of elder financial abuse, thereby allowing abusers to continue their victimization without consequences. Response to F9. Partially Agree: Continuing education on elder financial abuse is not mandated by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), nor is it regularly provided within the Citrus Heights Police Department. However, officers receive initial training in the academy and field training program to recognize elder financial crimes. Our detectives also provide in service trainings, to officers, on major case law updates or anytime they note an investigation deficiency on specific crime types such as elder financial abuse. While additional training would be beneficial, we do not believe the lack of ongoing training is the primary cause of continued victimization.

The Grand Jury finds that there is insufficient community outreach by agencies within Sacramento County to educate elder citizens and their families and caregivers about financial abuse, so the signs of abuse may not be recognized. Response to F13. Disagree: The Citrus Heights Police Department has a robust community engagement model. Members of our Command staff attend monthly neighborhood area and service club meetings to July 9, 2025 provide crime prevention updates and trends. Elder financial abuse is a regular topic of questions and information provided to our elderly community, in person, at these meetings. Recently, the City of Citrus Heights partnered with state legislators to host a free, public "Scam Stopper" seminar at City facilities. Drawing a large and engaged audience, the seminar included experts who discussed ways individuals can protect themselves from various types of fraud.