U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey and U.S. Attorney Moore Capito announced on Mar. 26 a partnership with Modell Consulting to provide a two-day training aimed at furthering the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative.
The event, called West Virginia SAFE (Safe and Accessible Forensic Interviewing with Elders), is taking place at the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The training is led by Karen Hill of Modell Consulting Group and focuses on developing skills for professionals who work with older adults who may be victims of crime. Topics include addressing age-related cognitive decline, underlying conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, language capacity, and cultural background during forensic interviews.
“Those who target older Americans for financial gain should be on notice: we will use every tool available to investigate and prosecute these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey. “By investing in this training, we are standing up for our seniors and making clear that exploitation of the elderly will not be tolerated in our communities.”
U.S. Attorney Moore Capito also addressed the importance of protecting seniors from abuse: “Elder abuse is a coward’s crime — preying on those least able to fight back,” Capito said. “Here in West Virginia, our seniors are the best of the best. They should be able to retire knowing they are both physically and financially safe. That’s why this training matters — it sharpens our ability to spot it, stop it, and hold offenders accountable. We will not overlook it, we will not excuse it — we will prosecute it, every time.”
Law enforcement officials from across West Virginia as well as federal prosecutors and social workers are attending the event; participants receive education credits relevant to their fields through organizations including the West Virginia State Bar, Division Law Enforcement Professional Standards Program (LEPS), and Crittenton Services Inc.
AARP is providing limited sponsorship for the event while Elder Justice Coordinators Kimberley Crockett (Northern District) and Jonathan Storage (Southern District) serve as contacts for more information about ongoing elder justice efforts.
