Triad is a national community policing initiative wherein law enforcement professionals, seniors and community groups partner to meet the crime-safety needs of seniors.

Triad has only two goals: to reduce crimes against the elderly, and to reduce the unwarranted fear of crime that seniors often experience.

Triad is a concept of partnership. It is not an acronym; rather it represents a group of three: law enforcement, seniors or senior organizations, and community. The Triad agreement, or signing, is a conceptual agreement by community leaders to work together for, and with, seniors.

A local Triad conducts organized programs and activities to meet its objectives.

Some examples are: Files of Life, wherein magnetic refrigerator cards are distributed to the elderly that capture information for use in case of emergencies; educational talks given to senior groups on crime prevention, scams and schemes, or personal safety and senior visitations

or adopt-a-senior.

Forming a Triad in a community has many benefits. Among them, it:

* Opens communication between public safety personnel and the elderly

* Allows seniors to voice their concerns about crime and safety

* Reduces senior isolation, a contributing factor to senior victimization.

For more information on how to start a Triad, contact your local sheriff’s office. For those with no Triad in the county, contact NATI at 800.424.7827 , or visit our Web site at www.nationaltriad.org.

SHIRLEY McGEE is a senior adviser at Home Sweet Home Care Inc. in Smithfield.