Seniors Crime Prevention & Safety Fair Set for Friday

With a heavy concentration of senior citizens, Florida continues to rank highly among states burdened with identity theft and elder abuse cases, leaving older residents at risk of becoming victims.

Keeping those crimes at bay is what prompted local residents and law enforcement officials to organize the Seniors Crime Prevention & Safety Fair in 2010. The third annual fair will be held on Friday, Jan. 6 from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive in Northdale.

The fair, sponsored by the Northdale OWLS, Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation & Conservation and the sheriff's office's community outreach division, will include presentations by Proshred Security on how to shred unwanted personal documents and free food sponsored by T.G.I. Friday's. Operation Medicine Cabinet will also be in attendance, allowing seniors to drop off any unwanted prescription pills that will be destroyed.

"There's great topics, like what to carry in your billfold and what not to carry, and different things on making your home safe," said Bill Castens, who runs the Northdale OWLS. "Also, identity theft was a big topic last year. What you need to do to watch out for schemes."

The first fair was held in 2010 after Dep. Chris DePolis, who works in the sheriff's office's community outreach division, began developing a working relationship with the OWLS by attending their meetings and promoting the sheriff's office's neighborhood watch program, said DePolis.

After DePolis spoke at an OWLS meeting about crimes that affected seniors, Castens suggested organizing a safety fair, which attracted about 100 seniors in its first year.

In 2011, about 125 seniors attended. This year, about 150 people are expected to attend, said DePolis.

"The crime prevention information that the fair provides is really useful to everyone, young and old alike, not just senior citizens," he said.

Statistics also back up the need for the fair.

The state attorney general's office reported in 2010 that Florida ranked number one in cases of identity theft, said DePolis. The state also ranks high in cases of elderly abuse due to its high senior citizen population, he said.

DePolis said he hopes seniors who attend learn the skills they need to avoid being victims of crimes.

"If a senior citizen, or anyone attending the safety fair, learns something new or picks up a helpful tip about how to keep themselves safe, then the safety fair has served its purpose of getting crime prevention information out into the community."

For more information on the fair, call Bill Castens at (813) 340-9436.