Alexandria, VA - The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA); its subsidiary, the National Association of Triads, Inc. (NATI); and Verizon's Hopeline have announced a partnership designed to curb domestic abuse among older adults. Elder abuse - specifically domestic violence in later years - is a vastly underreported crime. The Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) report that older adult demographics are the least affected by crime. However, the National Center on Elder Abuse, backed by studies done by AARP, demonstrate that as much as 84% of older adults do not report crimes perpetrated against them. In between these two statistical data sets, older adults are suffering in silence.
"A vital component of the National Association of Triads mission is to provide resources, services, and proactive means of crime prevention for older adults. Partnering with the Hopeline is a very effective, no-cost tool that places a cellular device in the hands of an older adult suffering abuse so that the individual can reach help quickly" says NATI Director, Edward Hutchison.
Verizon Wireless partners with national and local organizations across the country to increase awareness of domestic violence and further prevention efforts. Together with these organizations Verizon Wireless works to use technology to empower domestic violence victims and help change lives. In addition to collecting old phones and accessories at the company's Communications Stores, Verizon Wireless adds a postage-paid shipping label to the HopeLine website and includes a postage-paid phone donation envelope in all welcome packages customers receive when purchasing new phones. Download the postage-paid shipping label here: http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/Shipping.html and add the word Triad to your shipment. Also, Send an email to info@joypromotionsinc.com to request HopeLine materials to help promote and host your drive.
National Triad serves as a clearinghouse of information, best practices and early alert system for local Triads. Triad is a national community policing concept that partners law enforcement agencies with older adult volunteer groups and older adult related community services to educate older adults on crime and fraud, to reduce crime against the elderly, and reduce the fear of crime. After twenty three years in existence, there are Triads in more than 920 counties in 34 states, with SALT Councils in about 1,620 communities.
HopeLine® from Verizon puts the nation's most reliable network to work in the community by turning no-longer used cell phones into support for domestic violence victims and survivors.