Thursday, July 19
DALTON — Despite the rainy weather, Berkshire County senior citizens, state and county law enforcement officers, explorers — student police department volunteers — and community organizers packed the Dalton Veterans of Foreign Wars outdoor pavilion yesterday to attend the seventh annual Dalton Triad safety fair and picnic.
"Our goal is to reduce the victimization of elders," said Susan Jacobs, director of the Dalton Council on Aging, who helped organize the safety fair. "We do that through education."

The Triad, made up of senior citizens and members of the Berkshire County sheriff's and district attorney's offices, the Dalton Police Department and the Dalton Council on Aging, is part of the National Association of Triads, a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting senior populations from crime, fraud, health and safety hazards through education.

Internet, phone fraud discussed

After the VFW Post 9566 Color Guard gave the opening salute and William Kudlate sang a fervent rendition of the national anthem, Bob McDonough, public information officer for the Berkshire County Sheriff's office, opened the fair with a passionate discussion on Internet and telemarketing fraud.
"If somebody tells you you're going to get something for free, it's probably not true," he said.

According to McDonough, many seniors have been taken advantage of by con artists, but are then too embarrassed to report the fraud to family members and too uncertain of its status as a crime to tell local law enforcement agencies.

Many seniors will think, " 'Gee, I just got scammed. Is that a crime? I'm not going to call the police,' " he told audience members.

'Line of communication'

But by expanding the dialogue between seniors and law enforcement officers, Triad, he said, "opens a line of communication," making people less nervous about contacting the police.

Seniors can now say, " 'I'll call Bob — he's the guy at the Triad meetings.' Familiarity helps prevent crimes."

When District Attorney David Capeless addressed the seniors, he reminded them of the strategic partnership Triad has built.

"You should never feel that you are bothering one of us. That is our job," he stated firmly.

Representatives of local and national organizations that deal with elderly populations were also invited to set up tables and make presentations at the safety fair.

William Chandler, a volunteer at the Berkshire County Red Cross, made suggestions on how best to prepare for natural disasters. He recommends that every senior fill a small suitcase with vital belongings — identification, deeds, wills and prescriptions — and make it readily accessible in the event of a fire.

He pulled out a clear weekly pill organizer from his pocket and pointed to it.

"Put everything that you can think of in it," he said. "Your original package might burn up, but you have what you need."

Protection options

According to Jacobs, director of the Council on Aging, the Triad's education programs help seniors understand what institutional and community resources to protect them are out there.

This year, the Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit came with three German shepherd patrol dogs — Excalibur, Amos and Booey — to show Triad members how they work to fight crime.

"We answer seven to 10 calls individually a month," said Sgt. Neil Raymond, whose dog, Excalibur, is trained in cadaver detection.

Andrea Feldman, another first-time presenter at the Triad safety fair, came to discuss the dangerous side effects of "hoarding," the accumulation and retention of unnecessary and impractical objects.

"Clutter, it's kind of like a fire. It spreads and spreads," Feldman said in good humor.

She then left it up to the audience to fill in the blanks of her statements, such as "I've missed deadlines and payments because ... " Some chimed in that they couldn't find their checkbook. Others said their bills.

Feldman then asked people to think about what this clutter and disorganization actually costs. "It's time plus money," she declared.

Feldman, the K-9 unit and others new to the Triad fair were invited after local seniors expressed interest in their professional specialties.

"We do whatever the community wants to do," said McDonough, the sheriff's office official.

Jessica Bachman can be reached at jbachman@berks hireeagle.com.