Protecting the Most Fragile and Vulnerable Among Us
It is the mission of all dedicated prosecutors to defend the safety of their community, shield citizens from crime, and effectively prosecute those who threaten community security. In keeping with this mission, there is a commitment among prosecutors to protect those who are unable to defend themselves—the most fragile and vulnerable among us—children and the elderly, who all too often fall victim to distinctively similar crimes with little or no means to protect themselves. NDAA is taking notice and responding with action.
Children and the elderly are far too often brutally victimized. They are abused, neglected and taken advantage of, and the crime statistics involving these two populations are ever-increasing. Every year, one million children become victims of abuse or neglect, and many do not survive. The rate of child abuse in the United States is ten times the rate of cancer and, annually, the nation spends approximately 94 billion dollars to deal with the aftermath of child abuse. Similarly, more than two million elder Americans are victims of neglect, abuse and financial exploitation (often losing entire life’s savings) every year. As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement, estimates indicate that America’s over-age-65 population will triple by 2030 and that elder abuse could become “the crime” of the 21st century.
Even more troubling is the fact that many of these cases fall through the cracks of the criminal justice system or are never discovered by authorities in the first place. Those crimes that do come to the attention of the authorities and are highlighted by the media are often times reported by family members and committed by strangers. But these cases are few and far between. While some crimes against children and the elderly are carried out by strangers and people who work at day care centers, institutions and homes for the elderly, the fact is that the vast majority of these crimes are committed by family members and friends—not strangers. When these crimes are committed by family members or friends of the family, others within the family and circle of friends tend to hide the abuse rather than report it. And many times when the crimes are reported, the victim is “persuaded” to deny that any abuse took place. They are pressured and often threatened to remain quiet. All of these factors make it difficult for the criminal justice system to effectively detect, charge and prosecute crimes against children and the elderly.
In a proactive effort to respond to the growing number of crimes against our nation’s children and seniors and the obstacles in prosecuting them, the National District Attorneys Association is considering the creation and implementation of the “Keep PACE” (Protecting America’s Children and Elders) Program. At this year’s summer conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the NDAA Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution to consider the development and implementation of the “Keep PACE” Program which would develop comprehensive and inclusive ways to defend and protect the most fragile among us—our children and elders. The ultimate goal of the “Keep PACE” Program will be to initiate comprehensive and proactive programs for professionals as well as community residents to greatly diminish the abuse of children and elders in America and to aggressively prosecute those who commit these crimes.
NDAA will create a committee to consider all factors in the implementation of such a program, including gauging the interest of possible partners, researching the potential for private funding sources, and analyzing the likely results of creating an infrastructure in NDAA to carry out this program’s objectives. If the “Keep PACE” Program is implemented, NDAA and its partners will develop education and training programs, national ad campaigns, and information sharing programs throughout the nation for those who have contact with children and elders (police, investigators, prosecutors, judges, child and elder victim advocate groups and protective services).
Rather than reacting to the small portion of these crimes that fall into the laps of prosecutors, NDAA is taking proactive steps to prevent these crimes and prepare prosecutors to be proactive in protecting our vulnerable citizens. I am looking forward to hearing the report of the committee established by the NDAA Board. Watch for exciting updates on the “Keep PACE” program. This program, if implemented, will surely kick-start a national movement dedicated to protecting our nation’s most vulnerable citizens—our children and our elderly.
