The New Hampshire Department of Justice is expanding its Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit twofold to better combat crimes against older adults. Department officials said the unit has experienced a 71% increase in reports of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation over the past five years.
The three-person unit will double in size to bolster its investigative, prosecutorial and educational capabilities. Since its founding in 2016, the staff has included a prosecutor, a victim-advocate and a program specialist. Now, another prosecutor, an investigator and a paralegal will join the group.
At a press conference held at the White Rock Senior Living Center in Bow Monday, state officials said crimes targeting older adults are widespread but underreported. Senior Assistant Attorney General Bryan J. Townsend II, the unit’s lead prosecutor, estimated that for every 1,500 cases reported, 35,000 go unreported — even though state law mandates reporting.
Townsend expects cases to rise as the state’s population continues to age.
“The problem is only going to get worse,” he said. He said adults 60 and older will comprise 34% of the state’s population by 2035, the majority of whom will be over 70, and thus potentially facing added physical and cognitive vulnerabilities.
In addition to investigating and prosecuting cases, the unit educates older adults, medical professionals, caregivers, financial institutions and law enforcement. Officials said additional resources will allow them to bolster these efforts.
“Law enforcement can prosecute people, but one of the most important things we can do is give people the tools to protect themselves,” said Attorney General John Formella.
