Increased life expectancy is leading to new issues and problems for the criminal justice system as most communities experience a dramatic increase in the number of older persons. Calls for service, crimes, victims all are changing. The three national organizations agreed that police chiefs, sheriffs, older leaders, and those who work with seniors, working together, could devise better ways to reduce crimes against the elderly and enhance law enforcement services to them. This, they believe, is true community policing, providing better service to a population which appreciates, respects, and supports law enforcement. In each community the S.A.L.T. Council acts as an advisory group and provides a forum for the exchange of information between seniors and law enforcement.
Council members can be a valuable source of input.
They can assist in determining the concerns of the community's elderly persons, assess the availability of existing services and programs for the elderly, and recommend additional strategies. The focus is determined by assessing the needs of the particular community. Areas with more serious crime problems may focus on crime prevention and victim assistance. Places where older persons are not often targets for crime may decide to concentrate on reassurance programs, training for law enforcement, and involving volunteers within the law enforcement agencies. The S.A.L.T. advisory council plans activities and programs which will involve and benefit both law enforcement and seniors.