N.Y. Executive Law § 844-b: New York state committee for the coordination of police services to elderly persons

§ 844-b. New York state committee for the coordination of police

services to elderly persons. 1. Establishment of the committee. There is

hereby established within the division the "New York state committee for

the coordination of police services to elderly persons", hereinafter the

"committee".

2. Membership of committee. (a) The committee shall consist of a

representative of the commissioner, representative of the superintendent

of the New York state police, two representatives of the New York state

sheriffs association, two representatives of the New York state

association of chiefs of police, two representatives of the New York

state district attorneys' association, a representative of the attorney

general, a representative of the director of the office of victim

services, a representative of the director of the state office for the

aging, a representative of the commissioner of social services, a

representative of the commissioner of the New York city police

department, a representative of the New York state crime prevention

coalition and two elderly representatives one to be appointed by the

temporary president of the senate and the other by the speaker of the

assembly. The commissioner shall make appointments to the committee in

accordance with nominations submitted by the relevant agencies or

organizations. Each member of the committee shall be appointed by the

commissioner to serve a two year term. Any member appointed by the

commissioner may be reappointed for additional terms. Any vacancies

shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and

vacancies created otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled

for the remainder of that unexpired term.

(b) In the performance of its functions, the committee shall, to the

extent possible, solicit the participation and involvement of retired

law enforcement personnel.

(c) The representative of the commissioner and the superintendent of

the state police shall serve as co-chairpersons of the committee.

(d) Membership of the committee shall not constitute the holding of a

public office, and members of the committee shall not be required to

take and file oaths of office before serving on the committee.

(e) The members of the committee shall receive no compensation for

their services as members.

(f) No member of the committee shall be disqualified from holding any

public office or employment, nor shall any member forfeit any employment

or office by reason of his or her membership on the committee.

(g) The committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary, but in no

event less than two times per year.

3. Duties and responsibilities. The committee shall advise the

division, the state police, county sheriffs and other local law

enforcement agencies, and senior advocates chosen in consultation with

the state office for the aging, in the study and evaluation of effective

responses, including "Triad Programs," to the problems of crime against

elderly persons. The committee may also consult with experts, service

providers and representative organizations engaged in the protection of

the elderly and may recommend the development of programs, including

"Triad Programs", in the state of New York to assist the elderly to

avoid criminal victimization through the coordinated efforts of state

and local law enforcement agencies and organizations which provide

services for the elderly. The committee may also recommend policies and

programs to assist law enforcement agencies to implement such programs,

including training and prevention standards and technical assistance.

Such recommendations may include the following:

(a) the establishment of statewide and central clearinghouse for

information and education materials;

(b) the development of innovative community police programs for the

elderly;

(c) providing assistance to the municipal police training council in

the development and delivery of training to law enforcement

professionals involved in the "Triad Programs" including, but not

limited to, the subjects of:

(i) crimes against the elderly and the protection of elderly persons;

(ii) police sensitivity to the needs of elderly persons as victims and

witnesses;

(iii) social and human services;

(d) providing assistance to state and local law enforcement officials

and to not-for-profit corporations, organizations with respect to

effective policies and responses to crimes against elderly persons;

(e) promoting and facilitating cooperation among state agencies and

local units of government;

(f) effective advocacy of services to protect elderly persons and

elderly victims of crime;

(g) evaluating the relationship between crimes against elderly persons

and other problems confronting elderly persons, and making

recommendations for effective policy response;

(h) the collection of statistical data and research; and

(i) rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the

purposes of this section.

3-a. Reports. On or before March first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight

and annually thereafter the committee shall report to the temporary

president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the

assembly committee on aging and the chair of the senate committee on

aging, on the incidence of reports of abuse of elderly persons. Such

report shall consist of information from reports forwarded to the

committee by local law enforcement agencies pursuant to section 140.10

of the criminal procedure law including number of reported incidents,

ages of victims and alleged offenders, circumstances of the incident

whether arrests were made and the sentence, if any, of the offenders.

Such report shall also recommend policies and programs to aid law

enforcement agencies, the courts and the New York state office of victim

services in efforts to assist elder victims of domestic violence. The

report shall also include recommendations designed to assist law

enforcement agencies in implementing "Triad Programs".

4. Definition. As used in this section, the term "Triad Program" shall

mean the triad cooperative model developed by the American Association

of retired Persons, the National Sheriffs' Association and the

International Association of Chiefs of Police which calls for the

participation of the sheriff, at least one police chief, and a

representative of at least one senior citizens' organization within a

county and may include participation by general service coalitions of

law enforcement, victim service, and senior citizen advocate

organizations.

If there is not both a sheriff and a police chief in a county or if

the sheriff or a police chief do not participate, a Triad may include in

the place of the sheriff or police chief another key law enforcement

official in the county such as a district attorney.