Section 13823.2 Of Chapter 3. Criminal Justice Planning From California Penal Code >> Title 6. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 3.
13823.2
. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) That violent and serious crimes are being committed against
the elderly on an alarmingly regular basis.
(2) That in 1985, the United States Department of Justice reported
that approximately 1 in every 10 elderly households in the nation
would be touched by crime.
(3) That the California Department of Justice, based upon limited
data received from local law enforcement agencies, reported that
approximately 10,000 violent crimes were committed against elderly
victims in 1985.
(4) That while the elderly may not be the most frequent targets of
crime, when they are victimized the impact of each vicious attack
has long-lasting effects. Injuries involving, for example, a broken
hip may never heal properly and often leave the victim physically
impaired. The loss of money used for food and other daily living
expenses for these costs may be life-threatening for the older
citizen on a fixed income. In addition, stolen or damaged property
often cannot be replaced.
(5) Although the State of California currently funds programs to
provide assistance to victims of crime and to provide general crime
prevention information, there are limited specialized efforts to
respond directly to the needs of elderly victims or to provide
prevention services tailored for the senior population.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that victim services,
crime prevention, and criminal justice training programs funded by
the Office of Emergency Services shall include, consistent with
available resources, specialized components that respond to the
diverse needs of elderly citizens residing in the state.