Town Talk: A conversation with Carol Miller and Stephen Izaguirre, S.A.L.T/Triad

In this Town Talk, our publisher, Mike McCool speaks with Carol Miller from Synergy Home Care and Stephen Izaguirre, Community Outreach Coordinator from the Office of the Attorney General about S.A.L.T/Triad.

S.A.L.T.  (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) remains a vital affiliate of the TRIAD concept of “providing a safety net” for many of our most venerable senior citizens. The positive relationship that is fostered between senior citizens and law enforcement is invaluable.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office involvement with the Front Royal/Warren Co. TRIAD Council began in 2001. Our Sheriff’s Office provides a deputy representative to attend monthly meetings and assist with fundraising and other program support.

 The concept of TRIAD equates to the following three tiers or triangle of service to the senior citizen community:

•  Senior Citizen involvement as active members of the council. Seniors are provided with the opportunity to directly participate in any or all of the meetings and all decision-making processes.
•  Law Enforcement involvement provides crime prevention education regarding awareness and prevention of scams, property crimes, fraud, community safety, and home security strategies.
•  Support Agencies, Organizations, and Community Partners all function as a combined consultant base and or providers of senior support services within the North-Western Virginia Area. Examples of these include Churches, Warren Co. Social Services, Warren Co. Senior Center, Healthcare Organizations, and Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging.

 The continued success of the Front Royal/Warren County TRIAD/S.A.L.T. Council is directly related to the cooperative efforts of the three entities listed above.

 Project Life-Line or Auto-Dialer applicant processing is accomplished at the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging, at 207 Mosby Lane, Front Royal. Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging can be reached by email at Go to http://www.shenandoahaaa.com/ or by calling 1–540-635‑7141.

For more information on Triad / S.A.L.T. Council contact Lieutenant Robbie Seal at 540–635-4128.

Resources:

Office of the Attorney General

Virginia Triad Handbook

Here are a few frequently asked questions about Triad:

What do the letters in TRIAD stand for?
Triad is not an acronym. The term refers to the three founding organizations of Triad: AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA).

When did TRIAD start?
The Triad concept was originated in 1988 when the AARP, IACP, and NSA agreed to establish a partnership to arm senior citizens with the information they need to keep from being victimized by criminals. The first Triad partnership in the country was established in 1989 in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.

Triad was brought to Virginia in 1995 by Attorney General Jim Gilmore, who established a state Triad coordinating section in his office. The first Virginia Triad partnership, the Peninsula Triad, was signed into existence on May 22, 1995, by the Hampton Police Division, the Newport News Police Department, the Poquoson Police Department, the Williamsburg Police Department, the James City Police Department, the York County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Peninsula Chapters of the AARP, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

What is the purpose of TRIAD?
Triad seeks to build partnerships between senior citizens and law enforcement to share information on how seniors can avoid becoming victims of crime and enhance the safety and quality of their lives.

Isn’t TRIAD just another program?
Triad is not a program; it’s a partnership between senior citizens and law enforcement. Both groups benefit the community by sharing goals, desires, information, and resources.

Who is responsible for making TRIAD work?
If Triad is the car, the S.A.L.T. Council (Seniors And Law Enforcement Together) is the engine that drives the car. The S.A.L.T. Council is usually comprised of 10 to 20 representatives from community agencies that work with, or for, the elderly. The S.A.L.T. Council meets at least quarterly (usually monthly) to keep abreast of the needs of senior citizens in the community and make plans to address these needs.

Does TRIAD really work?
In communities where Triad is actively informing seniors about frauds and scams, law enforcement agencies report a drop in the amount of these crimes being committed. Scam artists naturally seek seniors who are uninformed about their frauds. Anecdotal evidence and testimony abound about how those trained by Triad partnerships simply refuse to be taken in by these criminals