General Cornyn was joined by local law enforcement and representatives from senior groups in signing the agreement. Triads are groups of local law enforcement officials and older or retired citizens working together to prevent crimes against the elderly. In May, Attorney General Cornyn pledged to have 100 new Triads operating in Texas by the year 2000. Currently there are 101 Triads operating statewide.
Triads involve many programs geared toward protecting the elderly at the local level.
One Triad program makes seniors aware of businesses which target senior citizens with misleading or fraudulent sales pitches. Another program shows seniors how to identify and deal with telemarketing fraud. Triads also have a telephone reassurance program in which seniors are matched with specific law enforcement officials in their community. The seniors have the opportunity to call on law enforcement for help, and in turn, local law enforcement officials can call seniors to check on them from time to time. Texas leads the nation with the highest number of Triads.